Bon Iver

It's very rare that I find an album that I can listen to the whole way through. The nearest I have gotten to finding such an album is Arctic Monkeys' Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not, but even then, I don't like Riot Van or Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But... Also, Fat of the Land by The Prodigy is a favourite of mine.

But my best friend Carla Bradman may just have changed my life a little bit. She made me an album out of the kindness of her heart. Here are the track listing:

1. Wake Up- The Arcade Fire
2. Skinny Love- Bon Iver
3. You Cheated Me- Martha Wainwright
4. Both Sides Now- The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
5. Bury My Head- Kate Walsh
6. So Here We Are- Bloc Party
7. Call Me Ishmael - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
8. One Way Or Another- Blondie
9. Voodoo Child- Jimi Hendrix
10. Let's dance- David Bowie
11. Suspicious Minds- Elvis Presley
12. Country Girl- Primal Scream

I first listened to the album the whole way through on the Met line going into town to meet the lovely Carla and Wendy. I stopped in my tracks (see what I did there?) when Skinny Love came on. It was the most beautifully haunting, melancholy song I have ever heard and since I have been a good girl all year, Father Christmas gave me Bon Iver's album for Christmas.

Since then, I approximate that I have spent literally 48 hours listening to this one album. One day, on a bleak January afternoon when I was in the mood for a little bit of wallowing, I listened to For Emma, Forever Ago six times in a row. Usually when I get a new album that I love, I listen to select songs on it over and over, but that's nothing compared to how much I've listen to For Emma, Forever Ago.

The Wolves (Act I and II) seems to speak directly to your soul or whatever you want to call it. It's the song of choice if I need to aimlessly think or more often than not, cry. The song's layers seem to in themselves describe the pain, loss and yearning the heart feels. The delicate lyrics, guitar and voice combine seamlessly to produce one of the songs that is underrated, yet timeless. I can wile away days listening to this song.

The Last Jew

I'm reading The Last Jew by Yoram Kaniuk at the moment and it is the most frustrating read of my life. And I'm only on page nineteen.

Boaz has lost his memory and the disjointed, heavy narrative reflects this and evokes the frustration within you that Boaz must be experiencing. Whilst clever, I am trying really hard to give this book a chance. I gave up earlier with 1984. I often find myself having to retrace his steps and go back three pages to understand what I'm reading, again reflecting Boaz's loss of memory.

The narrative harks of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time with its anal detailing and fast pace. But whilst frustrating, this is, I suppose, what makes Yoram Kaniuk a great writer and the fact that he is able to evoke such a strong emotion from me, and believe me it is a strong emotion, only stands at testament to his intelligent structure and narrative flair.

I'll keep updating...if I can stop blogging/procrastinating enough to read another nineteen pages.