Love is, most of the time, at least a buoyantly fizzy and wondrously good and uplifting thing. But as we all know, often from bitter experience, just because something is notionally wonderful doesn’t mean that’s how it’ll play out in real life; in fact, sometimes it feels like love is Continue Reading
Music
Songs, songs and more songs #76: Munan, Lupa J, Hayden James, Tegan and Sara Wongo + new ABBA lyric video “The Name of the Game”
Being emotionally honest is not a big thing in our society. Oh, all the Oprah moments and talk-show confessions might convince you sometimes that’s the case but the truth is that people put a great deal of effort into personal PR and convincing the world, whether in person or on Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #75: ALMA, M-22 & Ella Henderson, Dylan, Rina Sawayama, MEDUZA & James Carter + new ABBA lyric video + Eurovision 2023 update
Life is a LOT. A LOT. And when it all gets so overwhelming that you don’t know which way is up, you need people who have lived and breathed the same kinds of highly emotional moments as us to really give it voice and make sense of it all. Which Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs: Great lockdown videos from Jessie Ware, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, Jessy Lanza, Tove Lo + SOFI TUKKER … and a Eurovision 2023 update too!
Let’s face it – the two years when the COVID pandemic was its ragingly worst and lockdowns were everywhere were TOUGH. Really TOUGH. Even if you liked being home and reading and streaming and cosying up to those you love (like this blogger), there were times, many times, when it Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #74: Franc Moody, Magdalena Bay, Dora Jar, Zella Day, Michael Kiwanuka +new ABBA lyric video “Fernando”
We race here! We race there! We tell ourselves we are giving life its introspective due but are we really when we rarely stop to even breathe? Truth is, we often don’t out the brakes on long enough to ruminate about life, but thankfully a number of very talented and Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #73: Poppy Ajudha, Crooked Colours, L D R U, Whats So Not, Lamalo + Eurovision update!
Listening to music is a joy. It may not always engender feelings of joy because let’s face it life is never that universally good, and so neither are the songs that given expression to it, but the actual immersion into music is one of life’s great pleasures. It’s even when Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #72: Jessie Ware, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Two Door Cinema Club, Cryalot, Tove Lo + new ABBA lyric video “Dancing Queen”
Is it possible for deliciously upbeat and ridiculously, infectious pop to actually say something worthwhile? Absolutely it is. While there is a slew of songs that add considerable weight to that idea, I give the five songs in this post that all combine music full of energy and life that Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #71: Yb., Yuna, Låpsley, FELIVAND, Madeline the Person
Falling in love, and yes, also sadly falling out of it, do tend to lend themselves to songs that are happy to take their time ruminating on what’s good, and not so good, about all thing romantic. These five songs from five thoughtfully expressive artists, who know their way around Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #70: Tessa Violet, Dagny, Alfie Templeman, Metric, Marshmello + Khalid … and the latest ABBA lyric videos + Eurovision 2023 news!
Life is tricky to navigate – that’s hardly a newflash. But as we grind our way through the ups and downs of life, we often have to remind ourselves of the good and the wonderful, or if they are in short supply, that it’s okay to embrace life’s lows because Continue Reading
This #ChristmasInJuly, I listened to the festive music of KT Tunstall
Generally speaking, if people hate Christmas music, they really hate it, and the idea of asking them, especially if they’re a musical artist of the standing of Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, to record any sort of Christmas music is anathema. Burn down the Christmas tree, throw the eggnog down the Continue Reading