Swatch-ful

What does everyone think of our new reaction tabs? I just chose those words arbitrarily, but you can do whatever you want really. If you have suggestions for some good choices, then let us know and we can change them. See? This is a two-way communication.

So I'm a big knitter. Recently, in fact. Let's just say that since mid-february I've knit 2 scarves, a pair of socks, a hat, and I'm halfway through my first of another 2 socks. I just started a swatch for my hat, to figure out how much I'll need for my colourwork because I'm knitting in the round.

Wow, that's a lot of knitspeak. Explanation time! Swatch= random bit of knitting you make to see how big it will be, as well as experiment with knitting. Colourwork= different colours or types of yarn used in the same piece. In the round= knitting around in spirals, instead of going back and forth. Because I'm not restarting at the end of my last row, but rather coming around to the front again, I have to bring the colour back from where I left off: to do this, I need to sort of sew it into the stitches. You can't really weave a whole ball of yarn through fabric, so you cut it before hand and sew the other end in. The thing is, I made this pattern up entirely from nowhere so I need to figure out how much yarn I'll end up needing. Make sense?

Let's continue our wonderful song review, shall we? Unfortunately The Creator of the CD told me all the titles and artists, so it's not quite the same. But we'll pretend, starting where we stopped (where else)...

Track twelve has really got the transitions perfect. Starts with piano and vocals- I like it already. Then it builds up with strings, guitar, and drums, while still retaining that simply melody in the beginning. The chorus and verses blend seamlessly together, and while the refrain might be a bit simple (only 9 different words, really) it's not repetitive at all. The words don't stand out much, it's almost like another instrument in the ensemble. Big fan. Might not be as good as 9 (oh how I loved nine) but it's close.

I don't really know how to describe track 13. That ruins the purpose, really. There's so much going on, so many effects, instruments, different tunes layered together: it's insanely complex. Again, same sort of feel as the fifth track: very Imogen Heap's Hide and Seek. The vocals have the same... I don't even know the word. Almost fuzzy feel to them. It must be an effect I can't even begin to explain. But I like it.

14 is a pretty dodgy recording, seeing as the introduction is a radio host talking to the performers. Must have been recorded live on radio. The quality isn't too great: static and such. As the song goes, very basic. No instruments either, it's a voice and what sounds like some sort of bongos. Can't say it's my favourite but they can definitely pull off the simplicity.

Track fifteen has the classic 90s guitar intro: major chords, back drumbeat, the basis of every good pop song. The vocals take it to an entirely new level though: if Britney or Cristina(?) had this range and power, they wouldn't have faded into pregnant obscurity. Excellent bridge, I might add. It doesn't sound like part of a different song just plugged into the middle, a pet peeve of mine.

Track 16 is played purely on what sounds like a ukelele. That's all that needs to be said.

So yes, that's the end of my wonderful venture into anonymous music. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.