SPS - I Can See A Lot of Life In You

Last week was a bit preachy, so I thought I'd do something a bit more low key this time around.  Sometimes, you just want to keep things simple.

Sufjan Stevens is honestly not an artist that I'm that familiar with, which is odd - frankly, it's one of those acts which seems right up my alley.  An artistically focused but experimental singer/songwriter that plays multiple instruments and has a deep sentimental streak?  Someone's been peaking at my Christmas list - that or they found a somewhat more pop-sensible Steven Wilson.  And yet somehow, he's largely escaped my notice - call it Spotify Sickness, the unfortunate byproduct of the internet age.  We have so much media at our fingertips, so much of it amazing, that it often feels like there's simply not enough time in the day to consume it all.  This, by the way, is also the reason I haven't watched Orange Is The New Black yet.

Nonetheless, Sufjan Stevens is a quality musician, and when I stumbled across this song last week it firmly lodged itself into my brain.  It's a beautiful little melody, all the more so because of its simplicity.  The low-fi production and simple composition give it an intimate feeling - like you're sitting alone in a room while someone gently strums away on a guitar.  There's even a banjo section, just in case you didn't already picture a cozy log cabin nestled off in the woods somewhere.

And you know what?  Sometimes that's all we need from music.  I titled this recurring feature "Stay Positive Sunday" for a reason.  As another band said, life is laborious, and it's easy to get bogged down in the struggles and miseries that come with it.  You need to take the small joys when you can, and find happiness in the little things. And as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, sometimes it's enough to just sit somewhere and listen to a quiet song, and feel, if not at peace, then at least a momentary contentment.