What Up Gangsta by 50 Cent

Lasted about a minute before the first n word shortly followed by an h word. Nah, I’m out.

Boisterous

Sunny day, kids at play
Boisterous shouts, ball kicked out
Tears before bedtime

Central Reservation by Beth Orton

I recognized Beth Orton’s name from her work with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers, where her gorgeous voice counterpoints the electronica to add something special. This album shows that she is equally talented as a songwriter, mostly in a folky, chillout style with a nod to trip hop in the understated production here.

This reminded me of Everything But The Girl in places, and I wasn’t surprised to see that Ben Watt had produced two tracks. The highlight for me was Stars All Seem to Weep which was utterly haunting.

This is very good indeed. I just wish there were more artists like this on this list.

Spiral

Small blue-green planet
Unfashionable end of the
Western spiral arm

Lantern

Checking the price list
A lantern costs twenty gold
Good for dark dungeons

Olympia 64 (Live) by Jacques Brel

Probably the best export from Belgium since waffles, beer and Tintin the Boy Detective! My French is a little (by which I mean a lot) rusty but the drama and emotion in these songs is unmistakeable. I’ve listened twice today and I’m going for a third listen using the auto-translate on my phone to get a better idea of the lyrics.

It’s clear to see the direct line of influence from Brel to Bowie to Scott Walker to Nick Cave and beyond, not just in the covers of his songs but also in the mesmerising performance style.

Chanson-tastic!

Cold Rain

Counting down the days
Until this damned heat subsides
Waiting for cold rain