Brilliant disguises

In the end, it's music that matters most. Nothing more, nothing less. Ok, you may be saying to yourselves, what about Family?, Money?, Your job?, Your house?, Your health?, Art? - Well, I've never been one to mince words, so I'll just say that music, at least for myself, only furthers in helping one appreciate all of those things. Afterall, it inspires and as my special friend just pointed out to me today, "it's currency for the soul". We agree!
And so it is, a new day with lyrical genius smothering my ears in joyful bliss.
If we truly only have five senses, then those which make up the next eight must be comprised of four young men from the UK. Aptly named, The Thirteen Senses. Surely 2004 was a great year for this outfit, if for nothing more than the deluge of happy comparisons they received from the music critics, touting them as the new ColdPlay. Though the similarities are there, with the emotive lyrics, the soft voice of lead singer Will South, the streaming piano and delicate chords - it ends there. The more times I listen to this album, which is something now like ten in the last four days, I discovered that this band is closer to the sounds of Radiohead, with the earnest way in which the music plays out and obvious attempts at musical distortion. You get a distinct glimpse into their classical influences too (Do no wrong). It's a melancholic journey which like many other young bands, is filled with stories of heartbreak, sorrow and pain. Just the way EMO's like it.
Salt wound routine made me take instant notice. Will's voice soars above you as you get drawn into his hackneyed torment. If you were to dissect the lyrics and ponder them as separate from the music, a depressingly inescapable portrait of miserable reality is painted. Team these with the music though, and the poetry of the song becomes so overwhelming that you can't help but feel elated that such beauty can be crafted, and thankful that you are allowed to experience them for yourself. To that end, the track Lead us would have fit in quite nicely on the Bends (Radiohead), as it sounds eerily like Nice Dream. The closer to this brilliant cd is Automatic, a dreamy lyrical tale which had me instantly comparing it to No Surprises (Radioheads' Ok Computer), which is by far the most moving and depressing song ever written. Irony is glorious, isn't it?