today was a tough day. got a case of the overall blues. anxiety overload. feel like something's about to change. this should be a good thing - perhaps the neverending job hunt will finally come to a peak. but instead, there just sat this burden on my shoulders. this unspeakable pain in the back of my mind, like a monkey on my back. after the inevitable meltdown that's been on hold for months on end, i realized it was probably in my wisest interests to stop listening to the magnolia soundtrack on repeat and put the kleenex box away. put the cellphone down and quit anticipating a text which wouldn't come. quit stalking on facebook. fuck, i don't even know what's eating at me - maybe it's just my new birth control mixing up my horomones like a kamikaze cocktail. whatever it is, i hadn't felt in this rough of shape since high school in the lonely angsty fields of argyle, wisconsin.
once i popped the last resort necessity anxiety meds and washed my face, i swapped the ipod to the new junip cd. i had to write a preview for innerview this morning as mr. jose gonzalez and his back up duo will be hitting up lincoln hall in november. i had downloaded their free internet ep last month, and i've been revisiting gonzalez's breakout debut record veneer more often than not lately, but i hadn't checked out the debut junip full length release, fields until a few hours ago when i was chugging iced red eyes at the local cafe in my job hunt.
even if yer not an anxious nutjob like me, you'd have to be deaf or emotionless to not enjoy this record. with the combination of gonzalez's slow, sleepy vocal melodies and classical guitarwork, his band channels african and spanish elements into his easy, folk-lite rhythms. it's extremely chill, and easy to see how gonzalez has earned such international acclaim since his breakout success of the 2005 cover of the knife's 'heartbeats.' swedish by argentinian descent, gonzalez is all over the map with his different musical influences, yet meets the listeners halfway with his relaxed and gorgeous orchestration. typically, i get tired very quickly of guitarists with light vocals - but something about gonzalez's delivery is mysteriously enchanting and romantic. (i swear this isn't just the valium speaking - this album is damned gripping to put it lightly).
it's albums like this that i wait for. the sleepy surprises that you would never anticipate to creep on your top ten lists. the unexpected movers and seductive listening pleasures - no album since veneer has had the same effect on me. so bravo, gonzalez and crew. you and only you have succeeded in helping me breathe normally and loosen the deathly tight grip i've had around my ragged teddybear's neck the past two hours. now i think i can finally sleep easy, and maybe even relax.
i heart jose. and junip. but especially fields. this is a pretty and mesmerizing album. please go listen to it now. you can stream it on myspace (yes, myspace) in completion here: http://www.myspace.com/junip/music/albums/fields-16498472?ap=1
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