Paris Road by Machine Translations Album: Wolf on a String
This one comes from the latest six-track EP, five songs of which I quite enjoy. Something about this song is less than hummable. I have no idea where the structure of the song is going. Instead I find myself floating along with J. Walker’s obscure musical plans, brushing past blips and bloops of human voices, and trying to keep out of the way of the string section. It’s a rather unusual way of listening to music, but nonetheless enjoyable.

Fear and Hatred by Mark Knopfler Album: Cal
I’ve never seen this movie, but the soundtrack was recommended to me by an intelligent and beautiful woman I met in Mexico. This track probably only works in the context of the movie, but it’s a skip song on its own. The rest of the album is very pleasant Celtic-tinged guitar, but you got the only off one of the album. Sorry.

Howells: Paean for Organ by The Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge Album: Choral Works
The composer Herbert Howells got his start as an organist, and here he cuts loose. It’s not my sort of piece, but having been backstage during a few window-rattling organ solos, I can appreciate the power of it all. Also I like the word ‘paean’, although I have no idea how to pronounce it. A lot of words are like that for me because I used to read lots of books as a kid, but I didn’t really have anyone to discuss things with. So mispronounced words like ‘facade’ and ‘whodunit’ would go uncorrected for many years.

Carnival of Sorts by R.E.M. Album: The Best of R.E.M.
At the time of this release, I missed R.E.M. completely. I was way too into trendy Eurosynth bands to give them a listen, which shows that if your tastes are too specific, you could miss out. Good friends got me caught up, but it hasn’t stopped me from liking bands approximately ten years after they are cool. Boxcars.

I Don’t Love Anyone by Belle & Sebastian Album: Tigermilk
Many bands have worn the mantle of New Smiths Incarnation (the Sundays, the… well, the Sundays), and while B&S wears it convincingly, this song tries for it too hard. While Morrissey did touch on the abusive side of childhood (Barbarism Begins at Home), Stuart Murdock’s lyric (“If there’s one thing that I learned when I was still a child, it’s to take a hiding”) handles it more self-pityingly than one would want. That’s quite an inspiring set of chords on the way out though. Moments like that keep you hanging around to see what Belle and Sebastian will do next.