Say Hi’s new album makes me feel music again

I hear a lot of music. I listen to music that I read about, I listen to music sent to me by publicists, I listen to Pandora, college radio, and music suggested to me by people. But, it has been a long time since I was able to feel the music in a way that I got obsessed with it and longed for it when it wasn’t playing.

I’ve had discussions with people about why I can’t find an artist or an album that transforms me, like I used to in my teens and early 20′s. The discussion usually revolved around how as we get older, we just don’t have the time to spend with our records, like we used to have before full-time jobs, kids, and responsibilities. But, ever since getting my hands on Say Hi’s newest album, Um Oh Oh (due out January 25, 2011), I am relieved to say that this is not the entire issue at hand.

Um Oh Oh is a brilliant record. It’s deceivingly lighthearted on the surface, with loads of depth and heart behind every note and chorus. It is symbolic of life; the way we shine our personas outward, making sure not to let anyone see the pain inside, the heartache of the moment, the regrets we harbor. But, a careful look into one’s eyes can reveal the hidden strife. Say Hi has made a record to reflect a phenomenon of life everyone carries. Say Hi has made me feel music again.

That’s not to say that I haven’t enjoyed a lot of music since the last time I became obsessed with a record, which was probably Radiohead’s Ok Computer, when it came out in 1997. I’ve even loved many albums and bands since then. But, I haven’t been able to find the music that intertwines with my being like Radiohead did or pre-2000 Tori Amos. In high school, I was more angsty. It was Fugazi, Propaghandii, Smoking Popes.

It’s not a certain type of music, it’s not the sound or genre that creates this, but the artist themselves. And then sometimes they lose it, like Tori Amos did post Scarlett’s Walk. I almost found it in Arcade Fire or The National or Bon Iver or Bat For Lashes. But, not  quite like this. And it’s not the same for everyone.

It’s true that I don’t have the time to listen to all the music that we’re bombarded with daily. I wish I did. But, I want to be obsessed. I want to feel something that sticks with me, that forces me to look inside and out, that pushes me to examine more than what I’m hearing.

I thought I’d share this and see if anyone else would like to share the albums or artists that you’ve become obsessed with recently.