I HEARD YOU LISTENING

Well, I wrote about 95 percent of a four-page treatise regarding echolyn's new album. I chipped away at the thing for almost two weeks. Then I hit a wall and for reasons unbeknownst couldn't eke out that last 5-ish percent. And then I got to thinking, "Who in hell would want to read four pages regarding approximately one hour of music and one boring additional paragraph about my history as a fan of theirs?" Who, really, other than my best girlfriend or perhaps my husband - and both of them under duress? (God bless them. :-)) But I didn't want to wait too long to put something out there - because I can't *not* let the world know my sentiments regarding this music and I can't *not* get that same world a little messy with my thoughts splattering all over it - and now is as good a time as any. So the following is something quite a bit more condensed that I feel at least scratches the surface, and hopefully without requiring the reader to overdose on caffeine or another stimulant of choice. ;-)

The new echolyn album, hooray! We've been waiting awhile for this one, luckily not as awhile as their last, but still long enough for the itch to be in serious need of scratching. Entitled "i heard you listening". "Whoa - very cool", I thought when I first read that title and saw a picture of the cover, serene and elegant. And where are those birds going? I went into it listening with of course insanely high expectations - this is MY FAVORITE BAND, after all. Since landing sure-fire in my lap in 2008, echolyn has never ceased to - I'll keep it simple - bring ridiculous joy in my life. In listening to this new one, I deliberately took it slo-o-o-ow and steady - wishing to savor - note by note, word by word, nuance by nuance. From the time of those early listenings until now (how many listens I couldn't begin to count), this album has firmly taken root in the garden that I keep, and it has blossomed. Aggressive, plaintive, fervent, tender, vulnerable, hopeful; the merging of brilliantly-crafted music with lyrics intensely honest and often brutally so. Such is the draw for me. Echolyn yet again brings to their music and ultimately to the listener a sensibility of point-blank, no-holds-barred humanness - they consistently hold up a mirror and have us find ourselves if we so choose. As for me, it's an effortless find.

And man - do they play what they play and sing what they sing like no one's business.

So yes - I am having quite a love affair with "i heard you listening". I think it's one of their best. Is it the words, the music, the blending of both? I am not certain. Some of that is surely a part, but I think mostly because it simply lands right where I am, right now. And that's what the best music should do for a soul, on any given day - or night. :-)

I'm immeasurably grateful to Chris, Ray, Tom, Paul, and Brett for letting me in to listen. Once again I hear you all loud and clear. And I thank you so much for that.