I believe I'm supposed to talk about Beth this time. She came to visit. We ate everything and drank a lot. Like way too much. By the time she left, she was literally truffled out. One of her last meals was at Din Tai Fung, and we got the truffle xiaolongbao, and she could only eat one. So, I consider her trip a success.
I had to work while she was visiting, so she mostly just explored on her own, and then we'd go eat and hang out in the evenings. It was pretty wonderful. Beth is actually the first person who's come to visit me since I lived in China (aside from family). I've had other visitors, but they're mostly people passing through, not actually coming to visit me. So it was really great to have Beth over. Plus she's amazing and hilarious and I don't see her enough because she's all the way down in New Zealand.
Also, she listens to good music. And while she was over she asked if I'd heard the new Frank Ocean album, blond. Unfortunately I had not at that point, because it wasn't on Spotify yet. But luckily it went up right after she left, and it only took one listen to realize I had to own this amazing piece of art. I remember enjoying Channel Orange when it came out, but I don't remember enjoying it this much. blond is seriously an incredible album. Probably one of the best of the year. And Ivy, the second track on the album, may be one of the best songs of the year.
So a lot of people have been saying the album is boring. I get that. A lot of it is similarly minimalistic, with lots of strange distortion in both the music and the vocals. But I can't get enough of it. This track is on repeat. I'm listening to it right now for like the 6th time today. Most of the critics also seem to love it. I did read that one critic was saying that the album comes off as a series of unconnected thoughts, and incomplete snippets of lyrics. I actually do agree with this assessment, but it's just one more thing I love about this album. A lot of the songs are nostalgic, writing his memories and experiences in that way makes it more believable and relateable. That's how memories are, and this album is nothing but memory and nostalgia and melancholy (something else I love). Seriously every track kind of makes me want to cry. Even the more "normal" songs, like Pink + White (which is also one of my favorites). The album is so emotional and raw. Do yourself a favor. Go listen to all of it.
I had to work while she was visiting, so she mostly just explored on her own, and then we'd go eat and hang out in the evenings. It was pretty wonderful. Beth is actually the first person who's come to visit me since I lived in China (aside from family). I've had other visitors, but they're mostly people passing through, not actually coming to visit me. So it was really great to have Beth over. Plus she's amazing and hilarious and I don't see her enough because she's all the way down in New Zealand.
Also, she listens to good music. And while she was over she asked if I'd heard the new Frank Ocean album, blond. Unfortunately I had not at that point, because it wasn't on Spotify yet. But luckily it went up right after she left, and it only took one listen to realize I had to own this amazing piece of art. I remember enjoying Channel Orange when it came out, but I don't remember enjoying it this much. blond is seriously an incredible album. Probably one of the best of the year. And Ivy, the second track on the album, may be one of the best songs of the year.
So a lot of people have been saying the album is boring. I get that. A lot of it is similarly minimalistic, with lots of strange distortion in both the music and the vocals. But I can't get enough of it. This track is on repeat. I'm listening to it right now for like the 6th time today. Most of the critics also seem to love it. I did read that one critic was saying that the album comes off as a series of unconnected thoughts, and incomplete snippets of lyrics. I actually do agree with this assessment, but it's just one more thing I love about this album. A lot of the songs are nostalgic, writing his memories and experiences in that way makes it more believable and relateable. That's how memories are, and this album is nothing but memory and nostalgia and melancholy (something else I love). Seriously every track kind of makes me want to cry. Even the more "normal" songs, like Pink + White (which is also one of my favorites). The album is so emotional and raw. Do yourself a favor. Go listen to all of it.
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