It's my "Autumnal Playlist" if you will.
Like The Head and the Heart, today's artist was discovered by seeing an album on the shelf at Target. A few years ago, early 2008, I was spending the weekend with some friends in St. Louis, MO. They guys had gone out to the local Target for birthday cards or something. While wandering the store I caught sight of CD cover hosting a girl with bright red hair wearing a bright yellow dress.
I did the same thing as with Head and the Heart. I sampled the album on line. And the first song that really stood out to me was...
Today's Song: "Rangers," by A Fine Frenzy's debut, One Cell in the Sea.
This song enchanted me. Allison Sudol's voice is just ethereal. And she is A Fine Frenzy. That's not an opinion, but she is the artist. This song is laced with allusions to fantasy stories. And fantasy stories always feel the most real to me in Autumn.
I can't really share images that this song conjures up for me, because one of the first times I heard it was watching the music video. That unfortunately has the effect of becoming my default imagery for songs. I do love having this song play when I drive around through the hills and woods here in PA.
The song feels exploratory. I get the feeling of a couple, or several companions who are on an adventure. There are many people or ideas trying to tempt them off their innocent, or even childlike path. Trying to bring them to 'real world.'
I think imagination is one of the greatest victims of the modern world. We can realize things on TV shows and movies in ways we never have before...but a lot of it is remakes, reboots, rehash, and really bad. Every body wants to try their hand at some well known character or story and most things that are new or unknown, get left by the wayside because there is an uncertainty to them.
I say, bring on the uncertain.
Take me on an adventure I've never been on. Lead me down a path I don't know. This song does that for me (even if my visuals have been compromised by the video.) There is still a sense of mystery and wonder in it. There is fine line between living in the real world and simply existing in it. I don't want to live in a world where wonder, adventure, and mystery have no place. I don't like saying things need to be "balanced," but we can live with dreams and wonder right alongside of reality.
Get outside the walls of your city. Step outside the gates of your yard. Dive into a book. Explore the world literally or in literature. And keep exploring. Don't let the hunters catch you. Don't want to be found. Soak up life and live.
Some of my favorite lines from this song are from the second verse:
Further in and on we go
Sightless creatures tugging at our clothes
Cutting through the twilight, sword in hand
Strangers once united against the land
-Jesse
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