Hello!
I've never really blogged before, but I've been feeling very inspired by new music lately and figured I'd go somewhere I could talk about it as much as I want without continuing to bother my loved ones with niche albums they'll promise to listen to but never will. Last night I stumbled upon a feel-good gem of a record called Dance of Love by Tucker Zimmerman ft. Big Thief (among other artists) and I have to say it's what gave me the feeling that I should start this blog in the first place. It offers such an interesting perspective, being written and recorded mainly by a man in his 80's following a long life full of lesson-learning, and all-in-all made me feel things that a lot of younger artists struggle to do given that they still have so much life left to live. It was nostalgic and enlightening through and through, and it really felt like a conversation with my own grandfather, y'know like one of those that will stick with you for the rest of your life. The way Zimmerman talks about life is so inspiring, and a lot of the artistic direction and choices made throughout the album changed the ways I think about intention and production. By the end of the record I sort of came to this revelation that, in the era of AI that we're in now, maybe our own humanity is the greatest thing we can bring to music. A lot of the tracks on Dance of Love felt deeply personal and strikingly human, embracing imperfections in timing or recording, and I think that's something I'll be taking into consideration with my own music from now on – perfection doesn't make a good song, feeling does. All these little ‘flaws’ evoke emotion that would lie dormant without their inclusion; every breath, mis-pick, mouth noise, etc. has its own part in bringing a certain humanity to the music that, in this case, just elevated the grounded feeling that the lyricism and singing created the framework for. In addition to all of this I would be remiss not to mention that Adrienne Lenker is truly a masterful writer, singer, guitar player, etc. and hearing her alongside Tucker Zimmerman was truly magical, as their raw voices alone together just felt like being surrounded in warmth. This all to say, I am very happy I stumbled upon this album, and I can't wait to keep re-listening and finding more in the lyrics as I do. Bye for now!