I've spent all November saying goodbyes...

I don't really know where to start with this one.

Mostly because I'm expecting my less-than-awesome internet reception to completely die any minute now so I should probably make this short. The problem is, I could probably write a couple of novels on this one.

I want to just say it's been a great year. No, that word doesn't really do it justice but it's the best I can come up with in a short amount of time. I've been incredibly blessed in so many ways this year, what with were I was living, what I was studying with, and even just who I was hanging out with! It's funny how you sort of plan out how the year is going to go at the start, and then by the end it everything kind of went in a different direction. But I reckon overall it's been a better direction, as everything's only been upwards from the start of the year.

Not to say that there hasn't been some rough times. It's inescapable, but that's just life I guess. There's been some nights where I've wondered just what I'm doing here. There's been times when I lost direction, or lost sight of the things I stand for. But they have been much fewer and far between than previously.


This year I've met some of the coolest people ever. Whether they were from the hostel, church or UCOL, they were all super awesome to hang out with and really made me feel welcomed into the "big" city. It was actually the most at home I've felt for a while now, and I think now I realize that it doesn't really matter whereabouts you actually reside: the people make the place far more than any building ever will.

Lately though it's been feeling like everything's coming to an end. As everyone has been heading off in various direction, it feels kind of weird staying behind. Like they're gone, but I'm still carrying on, and I'm still trying to run on legs that are slowly disappearing on me. 

But it's time for something new. You can't keep a good thing going for too long, otherwise it just becomes stale. And as I kickstart yet another new experience for me (just discovering the joys of flatting haha), I know I'll never forget the friends I made, the sweet jams I've had, the mountains I've climbed (literally haha), and the good times I've had in 2012.

Catch all you guys on the flipside (aka 2013)! Bring it ONNNNN!!! 

 Jordan

To the common dark - Album Review

Ever since I heard the stunning ode to raise money for wells in impoverished countries simply titled "Water", I've been a huge fan of Luke Thompson's blend of folk, country and acoustic music into a style that is distinctly original. It was then with great pleasure, and a fair bit of surprise, that I recently found out he had a new album out and was giving it away online for free.

Now in today's digital age, where practically anything musical can be obtained both legally and illegally from over a dozen websites at once, and words like "Torrented", "ripped", and "burned" are almost built in to my generation's subconsciousness, it is rare to find artists who are actually sincere about their reasons for giving away music. Half of the time I feel it is because they're thinking "Oh, the kid's will probably rip it off somewhere anyway, so I might as well just save myself the bother." or that they're only doing it to promote something else, like a tour or something. Not that I'm complaining because, hey, free music is FREE music! But with Luke Thompson it seems like there's someone who's actually got the right perspective on it. In a little disclaimer on his website, he states (and I quote) "Lately I have come to realize that I don't make music for money... Sometimes I make money from music, but that's not the main reason why I make music.... The main reward is when someone shares with me how they connected with a song, or felt the same way as I did.... That's why this album is free."

In saying that though, after a few listens I respect that artistic decision so much more because honestly this album is worth gold. Mixed in along with Luke's amazing voice and the ever-accompanying tasteful guitar is a huge pile of great lyrics and some incredible instrumentation which just pops out at the most unexpected moments. Take for example the haunting trumpet leads at the end of "The Forever Song" and "Penny For The Boatman" or the banjo & fiddle-driven "Walls". Even though it's hard to pick a favourite from this album, as everything song brings something fresh to the forefront and takes you on another journey somewhere (like all good folk music should do!) there are a few standout tracks.  "No Redemption", though reminding me somewhat of one of his older songs (I can't pin down which one though!) is one of those tunes which is just perfect; it's rambling tune and minimalist accompaniment make it stunning enough that the beautiful harmonica solo at 3.24 is just the icing on the cake. Plus it has some of my favorite lyrics too: the lines "It's strange that even the greatest man of all could be a madman in the end" and "I can't just sit here singing, because if singing's all I ever do then I'm a fake" are just incredible.
"Green Green Grass" is another highlight, with some lovely acoustic guitar playing and a great chorus with some more tasteful harmonica thrown in there. Lyrically it's a tale of searching for something new and going onto greener pastures, which is something I can definitely relate too. 
I was also pleasantly surprised by the opening track "On A Slow Boat To China" because I'd heard it before at a show he was playing at a few years ago. Pretty stoked it made it onto this album, because it was such a good tune and it's awesome to hear it again. With a tinkling piano opening, and one of the more catchy choruses on the record (you'll have this one stuck in your head for a while, but in a good way!) this one's definitely a winner.

Overall, this album was such a good find. While the whole acoustic-folk vibe does get a tiny bit repetitive if you listen to it too much, Luke Thompson does a great job of making sure every song is fresh both lyrically and instrumentally. This is an absolutely incredible record which is awesome to chill out to, or listen to in depth so you get the full experience. But why take my word for it? Go download it at http://www.lukethompsonmusic.com/ and see for yourself.

Rating: 5/5

Write this down, if you can.

I've changed the title for this blog about six times already. I think in a way that gives you some representation of how uncertain I am at the moment.
It's kind of strange that I don't know where to start, because there used to be a time when I could just write anything. And now it feels like that time is an age ago. Earlier this year I tried writing a short story, just to see if I could still do it. It took me a few hours, and when I got tired of writing, and ran out of ideas, I read through what I'd wrote and it didn't even make sense, let alone carry a sense of purpose. There was no way I could carry on. After that, it lived a lonely life in a stack of pile on my desk, waiting for the day where I would pick it up again and finally get to the ending.
That day never happened, and instead my 'story' found a place in the rubbish bin.
Unfortunately, it's not been the only one to hit the fan this year. In an attempt to "write the best song ever" by taking a page out of simplicities book (rather than my usual lengthy, complex lyrics) I ended up writing quite a few terrible ones. And I'm left wondering why I wasted so much time on something that never fell together.
I think another lyric I wrote sums it up perfectly "I've spent nine months getting nowhere, with my head in the clouds and my ideas in the trash can."
It's not that I can't write. Anyone can write, given the capacity and the right tools. The question I've been asking myself lately is whether I can write anything of worth.

For not posting for weeks, I could apologize and say I was busy. I could say I was tired. I could say I had music to practice, and this had to take a backseat.
All these are true. But there's one more reason: simply that I didn't know what to write down.

Prodigal

I really think the beauty of this song is the simplicity. I think if there's one thing I've learned this year, it's you know a song is good if you can strip it all back and it still takes you somewhere, and that's what I was trying to do with "Prodigal" From the rambling, country-esque acoustic intro to the nostalgic and reflective narrative, it all came together in about two or three hours on a Saturday afternoon after buying a harmonica. It's really almost ironic how I've spent the year searching for the perfect lyrics, getting deep into ambient sound textures and abstract yet meaningful ideals, yet throughout the simple story-telling words of this song weave some of the best lines I've ever written. Sometimes all you're after is just waiting for the right time to come out.
And even though it didn't sound 100% perfect at the gig on Thursday, it was amazing to perform one of my songs again - as I said at the show, something like this is really close to my heart. Got a few good comments afterwards which was real encouraging too - one lady said she loved my song and was blown away by my songwriting, which I was totally humbled by. That's why I do this, in the hope that it'll connect to people in some small way.
Hope you enjoy.



PRODIGAL

I'm not far from home, but homes far from me/ Forty odd miles and a distance unseen
I never roamed far, but I roamed far enough/ Got forty large piles just trying my luck

Driver pick me up and drop me off/ Take me anywhere I want to/ Pin me up, we'll drink it off/ Forgetting what we once knew

It's too late now/ That the winds have blown/ I forgot the road that takes me home

I thought man made the money, maybe money made the man/ Forty cents left and my friends all ran
I never taught faith but faith tested me/ Got forty odd doubts yet I still believe

Driver pick me up don't let me down/ Take me anywhere You want to/ Hold me up, I'll settle down/ Remember what I once knew

Is it too late now/ Or have new winds blown/ Show me the road that takes me home
          
                 (c) Copyright Jordan Gowan and The Falling Movement Music 2012