There's More To Music

A tumblr for There's More To Music goodness. An endless series of audio beauty to please your ears, along with interesting and relevant articles. Give it a try, you'll realise there's more to music than you ever knew. Blogging by me [email] Graphics by heytherehydrangea

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Track of the Day #766 Recently I have been teased about how rarely I seem to actually recall song lyrics. Usually I am either making up incorrect words as I go along, or if all else fails simply making noises and hoping they somehow line up. But every so often I will think of a song I haven’t thought about in over a decade, and the words just pour out of me. The power of repeated exposure on a teenager’s brain. Coincidences came together this weekend and reminded me of this song by The Coral, whose early successes in 2002 will remain ingrained on anyone of a similar age. The members of the band were only aged 19 and under at the time, and have all matured into fine musicians. A one-hit-wonder this band were not, as album after album was released in quick succession, each time a different flavour of 60s psychedelia inspired music, with their latest in 2010 preceding an indefinite hiatus. (And as befits fine musicians, several have since released solo efforts.) If you were unaware The Coral had such a large discography, or perhaps don’t believe it could live up to their biggest hit, then have a listen to that 2010 album Butterfly House: a magnificently fresh record that takes all the right inspirations from the past, none of the annoying ones from the present, and proves that a five-piece band with good song-writing can outshine modern over-production. She’s Coming Around is already a favourite of mine. Will I even learn (let alone remember) the lyrics to it though? Probably not. On the other hand the image of sitting on the top floor of the bus, being ferried to school so early in the morning the sun was only just rising, today’s track playing in my ears via my mobile phone’s internal radio... All that remains seared in my memory. As do the lyrics. Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/2BodCfcjTxsHSoQq6uFBlJ

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Track of the Day #765 Time for some memories from 2007 - for me anyway. As I may or may not have previously mentioned, when I first joined Last.fm all those years ago I did spend some time listening to the generated radio stations, as well as exploring the freely downloadable tracks on offer. I hope it speaks of the quality to be found in the music of Cardiff-based artist Anatomist that after all these years I still find this music as memorable as I did back then. This track especially, with its dark, brooding bassline grumbling away beneath jam-packed beats of thumping kicks, ride cymbals, crunching snares, and what sounds like bongos. It creates a surprisingly unique sound. All this time I have thought of it as rather twisted drum and bass, and while I have only just realised that nowhere is it ever referenced to as drum and bass, I still feel that it does have that allure to it, even if it not how it actually sounds. ”Mile-wide bass lines, brittle percussion and drunken beats combine with found sounds and multi-layered distortion to disorienting effect” is the commonly found description if you are looking for a second opinion. Both the label on which this is released, Machine Records, and the actually-named musician Neil Sweet seem to have gone quiet in the last couple years, which perhaps explains the lack of Bandcamp page (or something similar). Therefore I had to upload this track myself, and I hope that I am forgiven by virtue of the fact that it is still a free download on Last.fm. I would also like to direct you to the album’s webpage, which does offer you the option of purchasing the album in digital form. It would be great for Anatomist to some day return, but if they have quit making music at least it should be said they quit while they were ahead. Not on Spotify, but downloadable on Last.fm, with the entire album freely streamable.

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 Track of the Day #764 Today I am going to do something I (almost) never do and promote some new and upcoming music that has so far flown under the radar. Perhaps to be expected as this (mostly) Dutch band have only released one single as of now, but I am sure their deserved popularity will arrive sooner or later. I was hoping this would be There’s More To Music’s time to shine as truly incisive, with a finger on the pulse of the new music scene, but to be fair others (including an official Spotify playlist) have picked up on this too in the last couple weeks, and over a million Spotify plays of one tracks in the past month - over two million in total - means that some people are listening (maybe Last.fm listener count isn’t that crucial after all.) Had I done this post last week I would have at least preceded the group’s UK radio debut but that actually happened over the weekend. Still, I rarely make predictions about future pop charts! I came across this while searching for something else and the appealing song title Teach Me How To Dance With You led me to add it to my play queue. As it began playing I was instantly beguiled by its soft sounds. So who are this band? Causes were formed in the Netherlands and comprise several Dutch players, but are fronted by British singer-songwriter Rupert Blackman. After finishing studies in music production he moved abroad, writing songs and even busking on the streets, where he finally got spotted culminating in now having the backing of a major label. The song itself is absolutely lovely, with the sheen of guitar reverb providing the perfect space for Blackman’s tender and breathy vocals as he sings his own touching lyrics. This is a really good and memorable pop tune that I am thoroughly enjoying over and over again. The wheels are in motion for future releases and an album later this year. Perhaps by then Causes will be charting across Europe and the world! Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/3gmVSae53M9b40UofEewqV (At the time of posting the track is not available for streaming, but will be again soon.)

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Track of the Day #763 Just a little something - two little somethings in fact - from one of the masters of film and television scoring Danny Elfman. It has been quite the career: originally part of the rock band Oingo Bongo (as lead singer!), the transition to solo composer has led to a still-growing discography of over sixty movie scores and soundtracks. There has also been the TV work, with one of the projects on which he spent the least amount of time being the famous The Simpsons Theme. (The apparent fact that it took exactly 3 days, 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 19 seconds to create is floating around the web, but I cannot find any reputable source for this; on the other hand the figure of “like, two days” does appear in a 1999 article.) If you weren’t aware of who composed that theme then chances are you most associate Elfman with the movies of Tim Burton, and so it is that these two pieces come from the Tim Burton-directed film Corpse Bride. Above the melancholic and emotive Victor’s Piano Solo; just below the morose yet redeeming The Piano Duet, which has a lovely reminder that enthusiasm is attractive, not something to apologise for.  

If you wish you may see both of these in the context of the film, exemplifying how great scoring tells us as much about the characters as the images. Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/1fvRueeK5f60hkG1VzoXXq and http://open.spotify.com/track/2CPnPnfbCMESaNpBQbeA0X

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Track of the Day #762 Sometimes I choose bands on a whim, and then the research reveals some unexpected coincidence or topical relevance. For a start this five-piece run their very own tumblr page, which is still quite niche for artists. Even better they are very responsive to fan questions. How they have time in between the incessant touring - I count a planned 36 performances in 44 days, beginning in May - I am not quite sure, but it is lovely to see! Secondly, The Story So Far have in the last month released their new single in preparation for their third, self-titled, album coming later this year! Despite the tours and festival appearances across the world, as well the excellent reviews and accolades they have received, their listener-count on Last.fm is surprisingly low (we all know that’s what really counts!) so perhaps this new record will be their breakthrough into the mainstream. These youngsters certainly seem to be revitalising the pop-punk scene, bringing to it unexpectedly mature lyrics at times, most wonderfully demonstrated on their rather tender acoustic EP. So far, the story is a pretty good one. I for one wouldn’t be surprised if it got even better. Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/4pkr1tdIdoCzmikruWYG1K

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Track of the Day #761 At first I thought this was going to be a simple post about a Chinese pop singer. What we actually have is a song-writer, composer, linguist, costume-designer and spiritual. Sa Dingding (萨顶顶/薩頂頂; Sà Dǐngdǐng) was born of a Mongolian mother and a Han Chinese father, and spent her early life living a nomadic life in the Mongolian grasslands with her grandmother. Already in those early years there was musical inspiration: it is here that she learnt that “music is freedom” from hearing the traditional singing heard on the plains, as well as (in an example of how far Western musical culture has spread) the music of Michael Jackson when returning to a city in the winter. Although her parents eventually settled down with her in Beijing, it was clear that she would grow to be a citizen of the world: this shows both in her music and her lyrics. The music is an unpredictable blend of traditional Chinese and Mongolian folk influences, often featuring suitable instruments (like the guzheng, which Sa can also play herself), as well as modern Western influences in the realms of pop and electronic production. The lyrics can be in any one of the many languages she speaks: Mongolian, Mandarin, Sanskrit, Tibetan, and even English. On occasions even these are deemed insufficient and the singing is done in Sa Dingding’s very own invented language - her “self-language” - is used. The above song is sung in Sanskrit, but feel free to sing along in your own “self-language”. As the artist says herself: “I want people to try to ignore the language itself and instead to pay attention to the music, the melodies and rhythms, and to use their imagination to try to understand the music in a way that is unique to them.” ”[It’s] about giving the listener more space for their imagination.” Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/5lil8bAC90vafs7ZxoGppa

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Track of the Day #760 No extraordinary history to delve into today. All there is to say is: this is awesome and you should listen to it. Year Of No Light formed when a group of friends, drinking together in the summer of 2001 after returning from a festival, felt they could do better than most bands they had just seen play. “Hey! Why not make a group that’s heavy, slow and sonic.” This being a side-project for all original and current members has had a very positive effect on their music: without a necessity to rush releases, they were able to focus on private rehearsals, with the first live performance coming more than a year after original formation. They continued to hone their style and refine their compositions for another four years before finally issuing a recorded album. The music they make has slightly varied across their releases, from comparatively shorter tracks with screamed metal vocals, to veritable suites of instrumental story-telling. Generally the style has been described as sludge, full of layered sounds and long droning chords. Don’t let yourself think this isn’t rhythmic though, with every track held together by the structure of a strong beat that often seems to become ever more pounding. These tracks are like the giant engines of the Titanic: not instantly attaining full speed but determinedly getting there until unstoppable amounts of force are being produced. What you might expect from a sextet with three guitarists and two (yes, two) drummers! The above track is from their most recent record, which by definition is the best example of their current sound, but their entire discography is excellent and well worth hearing. Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/0fgRbC5whweTlOgvsVd5M9

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Track of the Day #759 I find the album off which this track comes, Nighthawks at the Diner (title and cover art inspired by the famous painting) really rather interesting. Recorded in 1975, the producers recognised that it would be ideal to get across the late-night, smoky jazz bar feeling that this artist’s (early) music resonated with. To “do an album that would have a live feel to” so as to “bring out the jazz [...] more clearly”. So in a very imaginative move, the recording studio was filled with tables and chairs (along with potato chips and drinks) for invited guests to attend the live recording of the album in this makeshift bar. Record Plant Studios became “Raphael’s Silver Cloud Lounge” for two nights. Therefore this is both a studio album and live performance at the same time. It is also an excellent introduction not just to the music of Tom Waits but also to the unique musical persona that he has crafted. (How much of that persona matches his actual personality I wouldn't know, but these things don't come out of nowhere, right?) The first and most distinctive aspect of course is that voice, which I would personally describe as “like gravel being churned by a cement mixer”. The simile you will find on Wikipedia is by critic Daniel Durchholz: “like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car.” I encourage you to come up with your own description of his singular growl - better yet, draw a picture. This voice isn't just used to sing but to tell stories too, in the way of free-form poetry; Waits is a fan of poets Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowski and is clearly inspired by them. In between the songs and tales of woe and unbelonging the singer entertains his guests with more spoken meanderings and musings, showing a sense of humour and timing that reveals him to be an adept comic as well. These kinds of interludes still form part of his live shows today: his most recent live album comes with a second CD that comprise a 35 minute compilation of them! The music itself is performed by several excellent names in jazz, with Tom Waits playing the piano himself. Were you to pour yourself a drink and close your eyes you would very much feel like you were in one of the underground jazz bars in which this performance rightly belongs. Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/5ngro6ZNOuL5yxs8Vqttgo (intro) and http://open.spotify.com/track/7EcVLp7M6l4TtdlJcI0dMn

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Track of the Day #758 I have already shown my predisposition for using food metaphors when discussing music. In fact I have the whole menu worked out. Western Art Music (Classical music) is your caviar: considered rather high-class, perhaps even rather exclusive. For many people it is something to enjoy on rare occasions, with the unfamiliar flavours not always palatable to the inexperienced. (Of course these comparisons are not perfect; art music itself is certainly not exclusive!) Post-rock is your big, heavy steak. Delicious, satisfying and filling, but sometimes so heavy it can’t be eaten for every meal. I find some MONO albums so emotionally exhausting that I can struggle to get through the whole thing in one sitting. I suppose ambient music is your tisane (herbal tea.) It might not obviously taste of much in small doses, but can have profound soothing effects on you, from warming you up, calming you down, sending you to sleep, or even alternatively making you feel more refreshed than ever. Good pop music form the deserts of the musical world. Sweet, tasty, and enjoyable... in moderation (like everything else.) An unbalanced diet won’t do you any good. There are plenty of ways in which to make exquisite and original deserts though. Less original pop music is (somewhat obviously) akin to fast food. Moorish, granted, but probably not full of the nutrients you really need. Eat too much of it and your palate will begin to reject the more exotic flavours available. If you have spent your life listening to three minute long pop songs a Mozart symphony can seem an unappealing prospect. I have definitely previously compared Skrillex to candyfloss. Completely lacking any actual substance it is just musical sugar and air. I apologise to any hardcore Skrillex (or candyfloss) fans I have offended. Bringing the gastronomic classification of music to and end (for now!) I would say that the above track is a bag of white sugar. Nothing else, just sugar. (Or sugar and alcohol, like those sweetened vodka drinks you find in clubs, which is exactly where music like this belongs anyway.) So you may as well just dunk your face in and get that sugar rush you are craving for. I know that I'm hungry for it! Mashup artist PlusFOUR readily admits themselves that the sound quality isn't great here, but it doesn't matter because the mashup itself is wicked. The Youtube comments are nothing but praise and enjoyment, and rightly so. It shows so much skill for an early effort, and I hope they continue onto DJ stardom. Mixing together efforts by LMFAO, Swedish House Mafia and, yes, Skrillex we are granted something tremendously energetic and incredibly fun. (Click through to the video for more track information.) Like everybody else, sometimes I do just want a bit of musical sugar, and this is one of my absolute favourites in that category. So go ahead and gorge yourself. Don't worry, I won't tell!

Not on Spotify.

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Track of the Day #757 I pressed play on this track and my focus returned to other things. I was hearing it, more so than actively listening to it. Until I had one of those “Wait... what?” moments. One of those moments where I suddenly realised that what was playing was becoming more and more fantastic by the second. I stopped the track, blinked - several times - and started the track from its beginning. In keeping with an album named Thistled Spring this song blossoms from a small seed of softly strummed banjo into a canopy of emotionally gripping strings. That “wait, what?” moment is when the quivering mandolin comes in and I feel my hair stand on end. The singer’s voice gets louder, more assertive almost, and a plucked cello plays the nonchalantly bouncing-around bassline. Then the violin melody pauses for just a moment, before triumphantly returning at the start of the next bar, with the percussion now beating. It is a truly arresting moment, with the last word of a vocal line falling on the first beat of this new bar. At no point does the song cease to be utterly captivating. The instruments know exactly when to come and go, giving the piece a continuous sense of growth. Another touch that pleases me greatly is when, at the end of several of the later bars, all goes quiet save the banjo a melody finishing in this magnificent “clang... plung. Plunk plink!” Then comes another crescendo. What more could you ask for? In addition to the four musicians’ brilliant playing, Justin Ringle, the singing and songwriting leader, writes fantastic lyrics: poignant and bittersweet stories that are full of imagery. Horse Feathers make wonderful music. No wonder their live crowds are silent and attentive: you are listening to a folk quartet, but it feels like you are listening to an orchestra belt out a symphony in what should be the setting of a grand hall. Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/0PBPdngr2r8ffxIAVjB0sD

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Track of the Day #756 Some bands truly are before their time. Without wishing to get into another long debate regarding which band did what first, if you know your history of punk music the date of the above recording may surprise you. In 1964 in Detroit, the three African-American Hackney brothers (only 8, 10 and 12 years old at the time) began playing music together after seeing The Beatles on television; the youngest brother David - who became the guiding force of the trio - fortunately found a discarded guitar in an alley the next day. Inspired by The Who and Alice Cooper, their music gravitated towards a rock-oriented sound. By 1971 they were producing pure proto-punk. Comprising angular guitar riffs doused in feedback, heavy drumming, politically-dissenting lyrics and the odd vocal screech this was music that, in the words of one retrospective critic, made the band “look like visionaries.” Even the name is impressively in touch with punk aesthetics that didn't exist yet: nobody else would have considered calling their band Death at the time! (Several other artists have done so since though, so don’t get confused.) The contrast with the musical fashion of the time (R&B and Motown) meant that popularity was hard to come by. Even when a record label willing to release their music was found the demand for the band to change their name was rejected by the trio, who promptly walked away, leaving several recorded songs unreleased - what could be more punk than that? Eventually Death disbanded and moved away from Detroit. As the years passed and punk music became increasingly popular their unique self-released single became sought after by record-collectors, but they generally remained unknown, seemingly not a part of musical history. David Hackney (who as mentioned was very much the leader of Death) passed away in 2000, still fervently believing that one day the band would receive recognition. As his brother Bobby recounts: "David never wavered on the fact that the world one day would know about Death. He always believed it, right to the very end. As a matter of fact, right before he died in 2000, he came to me with some additional tapes. And he said, 'Listen, you gotta keep these.' And I told him, I says, 'David, I already have enough of our stuff, man.' And he said, 'No, Bobby, you gotta do this.' He says, 'Listen, the world's gonna come looking for this music. I know that you will have it.' This was maybe a year before he died." Fast-forward to 2009, when a collector suggests to the label Drag City that they finally release the material originally recorded 35 years prior. The master tapes were retrieved from storage, enabling this piece of musical history to finally be widely heard, and get the credit it rightly deserves. You might be interested to know there is a documentary that covers the story of the band during the time of their rediscovery: A Band Called Death. Even better: the band have now reformed and a brand new album is being released in less than a month. Hopefully this one will be appreciated without having to wait several decades first! This is a fantastic and fresh-sounding listen whether you know the story behind it or not. The knowledge that it's three black kids from Detroit, playing punk seemingly before anyone else, makes it even more special. Not on Spotify.

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Track of the Day #755 When music is made, some people are given the credit for it more obviously than others. Some records have a veritable army of songwriters, composers, engineers, producers and mastering engineers that all contribute to the final product. It is rare for any of them to be household names to the general public, but within the music industry itself the best of these experts will be called upon time and time again, asked to apply their experience and special touches to the records that we end up treasuring. Those who find themselves consistently in demand end up with a prolific body of work. Daniel Lanois is one these people. Check for yourself on Discogs: there are 752 credits to his name, including 343 for production. It is almost guaranteed that you own some records he has participated in creating, most often as a producer, but also as a musician or songwriter. Some of the biggest artists in music have had albums produced by him, including U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris... There have also been several compositional collaborations with Brian Eno on landmark releases in ambient music. Every so often there is a solo album. As you might expect the music within them is immaculately produced, with decades of exploration into ambient atmospheres coming to the fore. You might expect these atmospheres and echoes to seem familiar, having been the backdrop to so many other artists’ work, but effort and ideas have been put in to create a new progression on what has already been done. The immaculate, emotive and lyrical playing of a pedal steel guitar combines with these soundscapes to form music that is beautiful, refreshing and - unlike many albums - uniquely the product of Daniel Lanois’ skill and vision. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7tWay7rKbyvx2iCKuB77Oi

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Track of the Day #754 A while ago I wrote about the beginnings of techno, which took place in Chicago in the late 1980s. A couple years later, on the other side of the Atlantic, the primarily Belgian New Beat sound was seeding the emergence of trance music. After several hours of research I am declaring the above track to be the first trance track, released in Germany in 1990. It was a close battle of course! With several influential and trailblazing tracks competing there will likely be disagreements but with We Came In Peace German duo Dance 2 Trance set the template of the slow and meditative build ups and breakdowns, the repeating yet ever-shifting melody, and the fidgeting kick hi-hat hi-hat hi-hat beat. The band name is on point too. This story would be incomplete without mentioning the runner-up. Most people will know it by its later remix (or remixes, given the vast array of them) with the original comparatively overlooked. Releasing their self-titled (and only) record earlier in 1990 than the above, Italian duo Age of Love do create a track full of trance elements, paving the way for the genre, but that many would argue is still stylistically closer to New Beat. Why not judge for yourself.

During my research I came across an amateur critic’s truly impressive list of the "Top 400 trance tracks of all time" that I must recommend and also quote the following excellent remark from: "The first artists who actually set out to make 'trance' were mimicking a genre that was already defined." And so here is what you were all wanting to hear in the first place - one of the great trance tracks of all time: Age of Love (Jam & Spoon's Watch out for Stella mix) is sometimes mistakenly considered as the first trance track because it is one of the first that seems to be made with the aims of trance fully recognised, aimed for, and met. Jam & Spoon take the already excellent Age of Love and remix it in 1992 to create an early high mark in the genre that still stands today. Given that the “Jam”, Rolf Ellmer, is also one half of Dance 2 Trance this remix brings together almost all the pioneers mentioned above together, with this acclaimed piece of classic trance the outcome.

Entrancing, isn’t it? Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/1lPLhwm4XD6JkoXDJobDL5, http://open.spotify.com/track/1nZhnlJ9qo18asp3izyT6d and http://open.spotify.com/track/0rgQp5Pi4C2G8vQrhaTS7b

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Track of the Day #753 It is immediately obvious that this band have the post-rock credentials: the founding duo met as part of the post-rock music collective Set Fire to Flames, and have both individually been part of some of the biggest names in post-rock (Godspeed You! Black Emperor and A Silver Mt. Zion). Having your records released by famed Canadian label Constellation speaks for itself. Is Esmerine really post-rock though? The guitars are not there, and neither are the typical crescendos. Instead we have music based on percussion and cello. To even denote this as “chamber-rock” seems (in my opinion) to misunderstand what rock music is because that side of things has been replaced with inspirations from modern classical music as well as a foundation in drone music. Chamber music it most certainly is though, and the knowledge that they are now a quartet reinforces that idea. Beyond their first album their music surpasses the boundaries of chamber music though. The above track comes from their most gentle and light album, where sounds of the marimba and the harp hold your hand while you explore something of a fantasy world, with the mesmerising vocals being the most pleasant of surprises. In their latest material the influences of Turkish folk are very strong, and the large amount of energy, as well as guitars, brought to the table by their collaborators does actually give credence to the “rock” label. Yes, I am slightly contradicting myself as I attempt to describe the group, but Esmerine are the kind of group who will cause those kinds of difficulties! Yet whatever characteristic they give a track it is always created with the same spirit: the desire to make beautiful music that offers something new to the world and all who listen to it. Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/5jUhhHtBifZvx7fGrK4c1x

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Track of the Day #752 After a week of 'leg', 'knee', and 'eye', what better way to finish than with this rather modern twist on a children's song full of body parts. Sylvan Esso sounds to me like one person's name, but is in fact a duo between electronic producer Nick Sanborn (who rather incredibly has a previous appearance on this blog!) and a cappella traditional folk singer Amelia Meath. Not the kind of duo you might expect to form and in truth neither did they, but after a chance meeting forged an instant musical rapport the two decided to keep working together. Their similar visions for music coupled with their contrasting styles led to a fascinating and fantastic sounding synthesis. There has only been the one album so far, but I fully expect their popularity and success to grow and grow. My only question is: what's the story behind the band name? Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/6eg0S0s6BgaAQIQxLnaoPE

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Track of the Day #751 One is a philosophical and socially-conscious freestyle battle champion. The other is a talented and inventive producer, as well as one of the best battle DJs in the local scene, with regional championship wins. Micheal Larsen and Gregory Keltgen were longtime friends, and together formed Eyedea & Abilities. They both partook in other projects, individually known as Eyedea and DJ Abilities, but it is as the duo that they are best known. Complex lyrics reveal simple truths, with the lyrical integrity always backed by natural sounding and surprisingly rock-oriented production. As you may have noticed from some of the tenses, the story does not continue as Eyedea sadly passed away in 2010. Fortunately for us his introspective words live on. Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/35v12v3E5bTVm0o5vdddVS

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☆ Track of the Day #750 ☆ Back in 2003 and 2004 I had an online diary I wrote in every day, until I felt it was taking up too much of my time. After that entries were more sparse, sometimes only one per year. Almost all of these later entries end with quoted lyrics, from whatever song I felt best summed up the period of time I had just recollected. The entry from Boxing Day 2006 (the day after Christmas Day) finishes with these immediately recognisable lyrics from group Lazlo Bane and their biggest hit: Cos I can't do this all on my own, No I know, I'm no superman. Over eight years later these lyrics remain on my mind and are still appropriate to me. At this point I should mention this blog's hiatus over the past two months (which itself followed on from a period of declined activity.) It was clearly unplanned, and all the more upsetting given the aims I had set for myself. Aims which I still have. It is ironic that fear of failure can breed inactivity, itself a form of failure... Resuming is a success though, and one is much better off focusing on successes rather than failures. Let the success continue. Regarding "Track of the Yesterday", I suppose I will just do it as consistently as I can, despite it now being very out of sync. Then again, if office parties are anything to go by, finally getting round to Christmas in April is not that unusual after all. I know that I'm no Superman. (And that I can't do it on my own.) I just need to keep trying, and doing a little better each day. "Was it worth it after all?" the song asks. The answer is surely "yes". Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/4nnhiGPq5HRQzbAszYyYmL