Explanations and Imaginations

The month is almost over and it seems like it never began. That's not to say I don't remember anything from it. I remember the middle quite clearly and with a bit of affection. The first week where I thought that I might end up someplace completely different from where I had resigned myself to. The few weeks in the middle where a set of exams took my breath away and where I finally understood the privilege I had been afforded by studying with the students that I have been. Quite spectacular. These are, of course, the AP exams which will determine what, if any freshman courses I will have to take during my first year of college. Knocking these out of the way means less money in tuition, fees, and books, and hopefully a quicker graduation. Knocking these out of the way means less loans which is very good.

On May 11 I headed from my Chemistry AP exam with a good friend over to a local Best Buy and picked up Narrow Stairs, the latest CD by Death Cab for Cutie. I do not know if I have impressed upon you my love for this band in earlier posts (and am, at the moment, too lazy to wade through the clutter and check). However, allow me to do that now. This band is pure genius, and I fell in love with them the first time listening to Soul Meets Body off of their 2005 album plans. Needless to say, this album does not disappoint. It's full of the same thought provoking lyrics, playful melodies, and subtle overtones that affect me (and I hope most listeners) in a truly profound way. This album is slightly different from their earlier work. It's more rough and loose with less emphasis placed on the sort of glossy sheen that was applied so vigorously to Plans. It is, in many ways, a throwback to their earlier work, even before Translatlanticism (a 2003 album that put them on the map in the popular music world). However, in many ways it's completely different from that as well. This new sort of music has the chance of alienating many of their die hard fans, but I have found myself enthralled by it.