Little Dragon 10/29

Twice I turn my back on you
I fell flat on my face but didn't lose
Tell me where would I go
Tell me what led you on
I'd love to know

Was it the blue night
Gone fragile
Was it both men
In wonder
Steady gone under
Was it the light ways
So frightening
Was it two wills
One mirror holding us dearer now

Thought I had an answer once
But your random ways swept me along
Colossal signs so I got lost
With so many lovers singing soft

Was it the blue night
Gone fragile
Was it both men
In wonder
Steady gone under
Was it the light ways
So frightening
Was it two wills
One mirror holding us dearer now

she's hearing voices

Recently I have been listening to more music with female vocals, part of my growing appreciation for our most basic instrument. A bit has to do with my taste trending towards electronic for the past two years, where the voice is usually fractured and abstracted into pure sound. A bit has to do with ingesting kpop on a regular basis, where I cannot even begin to understand (thank goodness!) the lyrics besides the standard english word throw-in. This education has over time changed my experience and appreciation of "regular" english songs. Certain voices just do it for me: modest, sweet, clear. And then there are certain songs made on that one second where her voice hits exactly the right note or where the change is exactly what you wanted, and it is absolutely delicious.

black and blue

over summer i decided to wear more black, starting with a pair of black jeans hemmed and tapered to perfection (slim not skinny), which i perused almost every day. black, i realized, was the best color for lazy people cutting down on sloppiness.

but then i received the perfect jacket: a chambray blue with a hoodie (perfect for dc's unpredictable showers) and a form which swung gently from my body. best of all was the clever inner right pocket taken from menswear. so i started thinking about blue. the most humble of colors, always easy on the eyes. a color that gently sways between emotions.

then, my best friend, who surely has esp, showed up for our day adventure in the most perfect blue outfit--loose navy grandfather sweater, white and aqua sailor striped shorts, multi-colored blue sperrys. she fit perfectly.

i like how clothing and location harmonize. i remember seeing photos from the devastation in africa (here). they are tragic to be sure and mainly meant to be informational, but i was also dazzled by the colors in their clothing, the array of colors and patterns which looked beautiful framed in rust sunsets and barren deserts. wsj did a recent article on the sapeurs of the congo (here): "kin sapeurs, they tell me, adore yohji because his style is violent and brutal, in line with the spirit of their city."

similarly, i cast cities in different colors and feel myself gradually shifting my preferences. baltimore, a city of experimentation, of neons, prints, and mix-matching. washington, shimmering white and glass-blue accented in black like the sec building i pass by on my way to school. but while i find myself dressing more formal, with less colors and less strange shapes, bits of baltimore still peeps in. recently: a beautiful mediterranean-colored scarf swimming with fishes.

adored, James Blake in DC

momo and soyjoy