Today's DailyOM Offerings...
March 6, 2007
Not Going Anywhere
Keren Ann
2002
Israeli-born singer-songwriter Keren Ann sings in English instead of French for her lovely third album, Not Going Anywhere. It's a stripped-down cycle of disparaging loveliness, elegantly produced by the artist, with several tracks reprised from her previous album, the all-French La Dispiration. Surprisingly, she sings in an accent-free, pure-as-crystal English, whispering the words with a world-weary resignation that provides haunting antithesis to the emotional content of the songs. With lyrics as forlorn as "Sitting out alone along the bay / And I'm not going anywhere / People come and go and walk away / And I'm not going anywhere" sung over delicately picked acoustic guitar and a violin interlude, this could have been a "poor me" crying fest, but Ann's too well-traveled to make one think that all she needs is a boyfriend. She conveys the elegant ennui of that beautiful creature you fell in love with years ago but could not save.
"Road Bin" shuffles from high vocals alternating with doo-doo-doos, as she sings "Will you love me 'til you're bones? / Will we always have to hide away in a road bin full of stones?" Tough moments of bluesy electric guitar and strings offset Ann's letter-perfect acoustic guitar finger-picking technique. Elsewhere there's a swooping carnival mood on "End of May," and Vince Guaraldi-ish piano, surf samples, and orchestra bridge on the lovely "Right Now & Right Here" which starts out crushed against the wall but drifts out on a hopeful blend of children's chorus and harpsichord.
For fans of first rate singer-songwriters who find a lot of the adult contemporary music out there to be a tad overproduced and slick, Not Going Anywhere should come as a pure delight. Here are songs that assuredly set out in new directions and melt the heart without being sappy or overly familiar. No reliance on familiar ballad or blues structures here; Keren Ann writes with the assurance of a master like Randy Newman or Carole King, but also with the wistful sadness of a gamin who is perhaps a bit too young and beautiful to comfortably shoulder so much worldly sorrow. These tracks aren't afraid to bust out a twangy slide guitar or staccato rap, but they don't need to. In any language, Keren Ann is the sort of talent that one discovers and then guards like a secret treasure.
March 6, 2007
The Gift Of Giving
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
A desire to share your prosperity with others can come over you without warning today, prompting you to do all you can to ensure that the people you encounter are happy, healthy, and content. An inviting mood may prompt you to draw those in need more deeply into your life through personal exhibitions of giving that go further than generalized charitable gifts of money or guidance. You may be surprised to find yourself welcoming others into your home or other private spaces so that you can better minister to their individual needs. Your warmheartedness and transparent willingness to nurture all who desire solace can help you avoid being taken advantage of today.
The more we give, the more joy we feel, regardless of the nature of our individual circumstances. Whether we count ourselves among the prosperous blessed or the struggling underprivileged, we discover that we have at our disposal talents or resources that can greatly benefit those whose lives have not been as rich as our own. When we move through life with a warmhearted willingness to help those less fortunate and dedicate some portion of ourselves to the improvement of humanity as a whole, we will never want for a lack of good feelings. The satisfaction that floods our souls when we share ourselves with others acts like a balm that can soothe even the most intense feelings of inequality or covetousness. You will feel good today for no reason other than your warmhearted dedication to selfless giving.
March 6, 2007
Winning Isn't Everything
Competing With Yourself
The urges that drive us to compete with others tend to be straightforward. Years of both evolution and societal influences have shaped us to pit ourselves against our peers. The needs and desires that inspire us to compete with ourselves, however, are entirely personal and thus far more complex. A need to outdo our earlier efforts-to confirm that we have grown as individuals-can motivate us to reach new heights of accomplishment. We are capable of using our past achievements as a foundation from which we venture confidently into the unknown. Yet if this drive to compete with our former selves is the result of low self-worth or a need to prove ourselves to others, even glowing successes can feel disheartening. Examining why we compete with ourselves enables us to positively identify those contests that will enrich our existence.
There are many reasons we strive to outdo ourselves. When we are ambitious in our quest for growth, we are driven to set and meet our own expectations. We do not look to external experiences of winning and losing to define our sense of self-worth. Rather, we are our own judges and coaches, monitoring our progress and gauging how successful we have become. Though we seek the thrill of accomplishment tirelessly, we do so out of a legitimate need to improve the world or to pave the way for those who will follow in our footsteps. Be careful, though, that your competitiveness is not the result of an unconscious need to show others that you are capable of meeting and then exceeding their standards.
Consider, too, that successful efforts that would be deemed more than good enough when evaluated from an external perspective may not satisfy our inner judge, who can drive us ruthlessly. In order to attain balance, we have to learn the art of patience even as we strive to achieve our highest vision of who we are. When we feel drained, tense, or unhappy as we pursue our goals, it may be that we are pushing ourselves for the wrong reasons. Our enthusiasm for our endeavors will return as soon as we recall that authentic evolution is a matter not of winning but of taking pride in our progress at any pace.
Not Going Anywhere
Keren Ann
2002
Israeli-born singer-songwriter Keren Ann sings in English instead of French for her lovely third album, Not Going Anywhere. It's a stripped-down cycle of disparaging loveliness, elegantly produced by the artist, with several tracks reprised from her previous album, the all-French La Dispiration. Surprisingly, she sings in an accent-free, pure-as-crystal English, whispering the words with a world-weary resignation that provides haunting antithesis to the emotional content of the songs. With lyrics as forlorn as "Sitting out alone along the bay / And I'm not going anywhere / People come and go and walk away / And I'm not going anywhere" sung over delicately picked acoustic guitar and a violin interlude, this could have been a "poor me" crying fest, but Ann's too well-traveled to make one think that all she needs is a boyfriend. She conveys the elegant ennui of that beautiful creature you fell in love with years ago but could not save.
"Road Bin" shuffles from high vocals alternating with doo-doo-doos, as she sings "Will you love me 'til you're bones? / Will we always have to hide away in a road bin full of stones?" Tough moments of bluesy electric guitar and strings offset Ann's letter-perfect acoustic guitar finger-picking technique. Elsewhere there's a swooping carnival mood on "End of May," and Vince Guaraldi-ish piano, surf samples, and orchestra bridge on the lovely "Right Now & Right Here" which starts out crushed against the wall but drifts out on a hopeful blend of children's chorus and harpsichord.
For fans of first rate singer-songwriters who find a lot of the adult contemporary music out there to be a tad overproduced and slick, Not Going Anywhere should come as a pure delight. Here are songs that assuredly set out in new directions and melt the heart without being sappy or overly familiar. No reliance on familiar ballad or blues structures here; Keren Ann writes with the assurance of a master like Randy Newman or Carole King, but also with the wistful sadness of a gamin who is perhaps a bit too young and beautiful to comfortably shoulder so much worldly sorrow. These tracks aren't afraid to bust out a twangy slide guitar or staccato rap, but they don't need to. In any language, Keren Ann is the sort of talent that one discovers and then guards like a secret treasure.
March 6, 2007
The Gift Of Giving
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
A desire to share your prosperity with others can come over you without warning today, prompting you to do all you can to ensure that the people you encounter are happy, healthy, and content. An inviting mood may prompt you to draw those in need more deeply into your life through personal exhibitions of giving that go further than generalized charitable gifts of money or guidance. You may be surprised to find yourself welcoming others into your home or other private spaces so that you can better minister to their individual needs. Your warmheartedness and transparent willingness to nurture all who desire solace can help you avoid being taken advantage of today.
The more we give, the more joy we feel, regardless of the nature of our individual circumstances. Whether we count ourselves among the prosperous blessed or the struggling underprivileged, we discover that we have at our disposal talents or resources that can greatly benefit those whose lives have not been as rich as our own. When we move through life with a warmhearted willingness to help those less fortunate and dedicate some portion of ourselves to the improvement of humanity as a whole, we will never want for a lack of good feelings. The satisfaction that floods our souls when we share ourselves with others acts like a balm that can soothe even the most intense feelings of inequality or covetousness. You will feel good today for no reason other than your warmhearted dedication to selfless giving.
March 6, 2007
Winning Isn't Everything
Competing With Yourself
The urges that drive us to compete with others tend to be straightforward. Years of both evolution and societal influences have shaped us to pit ourselves against our peers. The needs and desires that inspire us to compete with ourselves, however, are entirely personal and thus far more complex. A need to outdo our earlier efforts-to confirm that we have grown as individuals-can motivate us to reach new heights of accomplishment. We are capable of using our past achievements as a foundation from which we venture confidently into the unknown. Yet if this drive to compete with our former selves is the result of low self-worth or a need to prove ourselves to others, even glowing successes can feel disheartening. Examining why we compete with ourselves enables us to positively identify those contests that will enrich our existence.
There are many reasons we strive to outdo ourselves. When we are ambitious in our quest for growth, we are driven to set and meet our own expectations. We do not look to external experiences of winning and losing to define our sense of self-worth. Rather, we are our own judges and coaches, monitoring our progress and gauging how successful we have become. Though we seek the thrill of accomplishment tirelessly, we do so out of a legitimate need to improve the world or to pave the way for those who will follow in our footsteps. Be careful, though, that your competitiveness is not the result of an unconscious need to show others that you are capable of meeting and then exceeding their standards.
Consider, too, that successful efforts that would be deemed more than good enough when evaluated from an external perspective may not satisfy our inner judge, who can drive us ruthlessly. In order to attain balance, we have to learn the art of patience even as we strive to achieve our highest vision of who we are. When we feel drained, tense, or unhappy as we pursue our goals, it may be that we are pushing ourselves for the wrong reasons. Our enthusiasm for our endeavors will return as soon as we recall that authentic evolution is a matter not of winning but of taking pride in our progress at any pace.