ten years

I guess that I haven't made much sense / and it's time to call it a day ...

Jacob and Esau

where to begin / Jacob I loved, Esau I hated / those who talk about the love of God / who say / as if it were axiomatic / that God loves them / I guess / that they simply ignore / wherever in the bible / this uncomfortable phrase / is to be found ...

those old demons

I guess that you learn whom you can trust. And I know that I can trust Kirsty mcGee - her recent album, Contraband sustained me through a difficult year. And so I eagerly anticipated the new album, Those Old Demons. And it does not disappoint.

My response to music is personal, and you'll have to look elsewhere for a considered review. What I would like to ( try to ) say is this. In this world there is darkness. All kinds of darkness - you don't need me to tell you that. Even, as we look inwards, we see darkness ( some light, hopefully, but we can't deny the patches of shadow ). And I value music that takes on the darkness.

A personal observation. My first thought, on hearing the first song in this album was: this reminds of me of westerns ( the movie genre ). I'm not expert enough to know if this thought was valid, but it's a good enough starting point. You don't defeat the baddies by staying aloof. You get in there. Of course, as a cowboy, eventually, you start shooting. But you have to rub shoulders.

So. We're into advent. Whatever your perspective, this is the time of year when it looks like the darkness is winning. Of course, we know that Christmas is coming. The tide will turn, and the days will start to lengthen, again. Till then, you could do far worse than to buy this album, and find a companion who knows the terrain, and how to roll with the punches ...