A LETTERED SOUL: REFLECTIONS ON LITERATURE, CINEMA AND CULTURE .

MUSIC'S THE BEGINNING, THE MIDDLE AND THE JOURNEY AHEAD.

2020 has come and so has the time when I rub my hands in anticipation of the treasure trove of musical accomplishments to come with the season . This year already has some breathtakingly honest ballads utilizing guitars and pianos for proficiency and for me are 'true hits' irrespective of whether they crack charts or not.

Also, the continuing riches of some of the best works of 2019 pour into this initial quarter and hence we have our lucky stars to thank to believe in the true craft of an artistic experience inspiring us ; for someone who writes and is motivated to create poetry from everyday musings, it's a genuine fillip to think with more imagination and clarity.

So here comes the drum roll and then the worth of listening to these gems.

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THE NEW HITS ON MY PLAYLIST

NOBODY BUT YOU by BLAKE SHELTON and GWEN STEFANI

The year gives us its first proper duet in the form of this richly amorous collaboration between real- life singing superstars and partners BLAKE SHELTON and GWEN STEFANI. There is an ease that flows through this pure melodic  core of love and longing and our yearning for good musical interpretations begins on a solid footing. The dynamics of artistic/ personal selves melding in one compact package lend NOBODY BUT YOU a sweet emotional stability.

TILL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT by CAM

CAM has greatly inspired me over the last three years with her narratives on such humble gems as BURNING HOUSE, MAYDAY and DIANE besides writing for Sam Smith's achingly relatable PALACE, a cover of which she herself shared with the world.

Now the finger snapping rhythms and optimistic properties of her latest release TILL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT  beautifully taps into our contemporary sense of anxiety regarding the state of the world but is attuned to the one constant of our very existence, that is love. Been there, done that, one will assume. Cam manages to make it charmed, genuine and absolutely effortless, with a lalala refrain and a chorus that grows on one and is definite to be hummed for a long time to come.

FIFTEEN by MANDY MOORE

Mandy Moore has exemplified an unique sense of simplicity for well over a decade now and her upcoming album of heartwarming thematic material is no different.

Let me tell you that FIFTEEN comes with some wonderfully written verses and has this laidback vibe, complete with guitars, that makes the subject matter of being in the spotlight since one's younger years, coasting along with the highs and lows and reclaiming that often imperfect narrative as an adult, one of restraint and well- earned maturity. Almost autobiographical in tone, FIFTEEN is a gem to listen to, mostly because of Mandy's lilting voice.