Hiatus

I'm off to the other side of the world and would write an entry on pop music in Asia, but uhhhhhhhhh, let's not. Instead, I bought the following albums to listen to on the plane ride:

AA Bondy - American Hearts, which is what M Ward would have written if he was a boy from middle Americana who didn't sound like his voice box was scraped by cigarettes. Harmonicas galore!

I found my copy of M Ward's Transfiguration of Vincent and am so excited that I just can't hide it. You know, you know. I've seen him live and this man can turn a guitar beyond the definition of what a guitar can do. Finger pickin' awe. Musical talents aside, his voice is like a long drag of a cigarette. Smooth, calming, but laced with guilt that you shouldn't be smoking in the first place.

The Antlers - Hospice. "Bear" initially caught my ear, based on the title, because of my fondness for the majestic creatures. Then vocalist Peter Silberman takes me for a twist-turn ride through expectations and loss. His voice strains and all I want to do is take his hand and tell him it'll be okay. But I'm too busy crying in his arms, while he still sings in stretching notes. For four minutes and three seconds, his vulnerability is exposed and it is terrifying. With that said, the rest of the album is amazing and sits on my best of 2009 list.