With a ballad being defined as “a popular song, especially of a romantic or sentimental nature” and hyper as “emotionally stimulated or overexcited,” it could be said a hyper-ballad is a stirring romantic tune, or perhaps a musically portrayed agitated state. Does this mean this song’s protagonist has eaten too much sugar (debunked) or, as a female is hysterical, a loaded sexual misdiagnosis that used … Continue reading Bjork ~ Hyperballad [1996]
If you have yet to witness the beauty of Dead Can Dance, this is as apt a song as could be as introduction. “The Carnival Is Over” appears as an homage to those wonderful circus freaks otherwise noteworthy as society’s shunned and exploited, unfortunate souls first rejected … Continue reading Dead Can Dance – The Carnival Is Over [1993]
A good friend of mine taught me a valuable lesson when I was a younger man. As he knew I had a predisposition towards the new and perfect, he instead encouraged me to seek beauty in the ill-used and oft-damaged. He showed me how scarred things display their flaws freely … Continue reading Leonard Cohen ~ You Want It Darker [2⊘16]
Sadly, when a relationship ends with a significant other, it is often the end. The end of shared dreams shared memories and sometimes even friendship. At times, this is due to lingering anger, yet other times it is simply borne of a necessity for self-preservation. If we were close, really close, it can be difficult to extricate ourselves and reestablish our own autonomy … Continue reading Grizzly Bear ~ Neighbors [2⊘17]
I cannot count the number of times I was warned of regrets for inaction, but never reminded that actions themselves could also be rued. That gut hurt, that vulnerability more mental than physical we dolefully feel when we disappoint ourselves and others. We are all human, and therefore fallible, but that is of little consolation when mistakes are made that cannot be retracted or adequately amended, especially when unclear. “God … Continue reading Portishead ~ We Carry On [2⊘⊘8]
