Friday morning standouts:
1st Wave Deep Cuts
- Leave In Silence-Depeche Mode (A clear sign that a relationship has ended.)
Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
- Some Forgotten Color-Spencer Elliott (Music for cloudy day contemplation. I pictured a wheel turning continuously as I listened.)
The Bridge
- Your Smiling Face-James Taylor (Too often, how-lucky-I-am-to-be-with-you songs err in being too overwrought. Taylor's song escapes this trap, thanks to an unusually uptempo arrangement, resulting in one of his best hits.)
Classic Folk
- Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall-Simon & Garfunkel (Eloquent lyrics about staying true to one's convictions in the face of opposing forces.)
- America The Beautiful-Keb' Mo' (Keb' Mo''s bluesy approach to this should-be-national-anthem on the guitar and vocals serves it well.)
Country Coffee House
- Deeper Well-Kacey Musgraves (A flashing sign about when it's wise to cut ties with people or habits that are too destructive.)
Deep Tracks Just Music
- Up The 'Pool-Jethro Tull (An interesting song about a quirky town. I have the impression that while it might not be everyone's cup of tea, those who live there are proud to call it home.)
The Loft
- Till Your Mind Is Shining-Peter Gabriel (How does one's mind process its thoughts? For that matter, how does artificial intelligence process the information it gathers? Gabriel's new release raises these questions.)
Mom Jeans
- Orinoco Flow-Enya (Many listeners who don't know any other new age vocal tracks offhand likely know this tune, thanks to its frequent airplay when it was released and its "Sail away, Sail away, Sail away," hook.)
North Americana
- Diggin' In The Coal-Leah Blevins (This endearing January release has heartwarming lyrics about holding onto the people who mean the most to you. Rhythmically and vocally, it falls somewhere between the Dixie Chicks and Fleetwood Mac.)
Real Jazz
- Time-Lafayette Harris, Jr. (This elegant, melancholy piano-and-trumpet number could segue with multiple versions of "I Can't Get Started.")
Yacht Rock Radio
- Never Be The Same-Christopher Cross (Even after a relationship ends, the impression a person has made usually lingers. The tune's upbeat, poppy arrangement takes the edge off of the rejection, so it's not surprising that this was a relatively big hit for Cross in 1980-'81.)
