meandthestereo

Many people want to make certain changes to their lives.  There is a huge self-improvement section of the bookstore, where I can sometimes be found.  From better scheduling to better eating, from more thoughtfulness to more action, change and improvement seem to be popular.

Maybe it’s just me, but people seem to rely on music to unleash some of the emotional neediness that arises in everyday life.  We interpret as we please, and seek reassurance in the cryptic lyrics.  The haunting melodies evoke either energetic times or sorrowful times, pensive times or forward-moving times.  We chose what we listen to, but maybe we can’t always control how exactly a particular song will affect us on a particular day when we listen to it.

When I listen to Mates of State, I feel a lot of energy from the upbeat piano lines and drum rhythms.  I want to feel enthusiastic about something when listening to Mates of State.

When I listen to The National, I want to be thoughtful in a dramatic way.  It’s funny that just the lead singer’s deep voice can lend extra elegance and seriousness to the music.

When I listen to Sleater-Kinney, I want to be a brave, strong woman who is not afraid to wail lyrics, and play heavy bass and guitar riffs.

Listening to Radiohead, life becomes a mournful state, very bleak, on its way to some type of post-apocalyptic destruction that is too depressing to fully express.

These disembodied voices and instruments, due to the recordings of excellent production quality, feed a sense that there is a way to reach true perfection.  Life is shrink-wrapped and hygienic, plastic with easy-to-read instructions.  When my own perspective is messy and disorganized, I hold it up to an unreal ideal that is created by the way society wants everything certain, safe, attainable, glossy-surfaced.

So there is always a disparity that somehow demands improvement to close the gap.  Music allows us to take three minutes to feel caught up in the moment.  A good song can seem to hold your hand and help you continue on your journey.