Sam applies to Pitchfork

I rarely write about the things I like. It's one of those quirks of the personality that I only write when I feel I have to use words to somehow magically prevent my life from collapsing. I would write about work, but then I work at Humanity's Complaint Department (HCD). While my position there is sufficiently lowly, I'm still privy to enough private information to land me back in the unemployment line if I ever went into detail about what went on there. Any one want to make it worth my while?
In order to maintain my sanity, I've found myself listening to a lot of music lately. In no particular order, here's what I've been listening to and enjoying.

1. Shearwater - Palo Santo: While listening to this album doesn't send me into an existential frenzy (See previous post for what does) it is one of the most heartbreakingly sad pieces of music I've ever listened to. The first time I listened to the song "La Dame et la Licorne" it brought tears to my eyes.I don't recommend any one listen to "Johnny Viola" if they have anything troubling them. I'm not sure I even want to guess what would happen if I listened to "Hail, Mary" after a few drinks. I'd probably run sobbing into the forest, never to be seen again. That being said, this is a gorgeous listen.

2. Pedro the Lion - It's Hard To Find A Friend : When mentioning to a friend that I really enjoyed this album, she cut me off in mid-sentence saying "Yeah, he's alright, but he's a little too Christ-y for me". Now, I positively enjoy things being a little Christ-y provided it's sincere and aesthetically well constructed. Fortunately, this is. Obvious favorite is "Secret of the easy yoke", but my personal favorite is "Of minor prophets and their prostitute wives". Part of the pleasure comes from knowing who the prophet in question is -It's Hosea!- but also the lurking menace in a lyric like "Come home darling all is forgiven
So come home quickly". The vaguely threatening way he emphasizes "quickly" implies that this forgiveness depends heavily on her coming home.

3. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy:
This is the scariest and most intense album about love I've ever listened to. The song "For Real" is making me question how deeply I've ever been in love with anybody. I want "So come back, I am waiting" to play at my wedding, provided I ever get that far. Yes Susannah, I went out and bought this too.

4. Tropicalia - Various artists: I've only been listening to this recently, but go out and buy it! Buy it now! Tropicalia is a Brazilian style of music from the late sixties that combines pop, punk and avant garde influences. It's also incredibly upbeat and relentlessly catchy. You'll need to listen to this afterBlack Sheep Boy makes you relentlessly question the intensity and sincerity of all your past and current relationships.