One Final Act

 

I'm going to get a lot of flak for the following, but I find that most (but not all, mind you) of the current pop singers (and I definitely use the word singer lightly) pretty much sound alike. Please note that I'm referring to Pop Music, i.e., the tripe that Virgin radio airs. These performers appear to rely on the use of a voice modulator, thus creating a homogenized timbre. As for the melodies, there isn't much to write home about either. I agree that some catchy tunes separate themselves from the dregs, but the main output lacks soul and/or inspiration. It's as if every hit song was composed by the same person. Of course, you can take my comments with a grain of salt as there's no accounting for musical tastes. 

 

OK! I stepped off my soapbox. You may lower your weapons.

 

I'm no longer concerned with the general makeup of millennial music, for my disappointment turned into indifference. All is not bleak though, for I have discovered new musicians that warrant my attention, like David Marin, Emile Proulx-Cloutier, Steve Hackett, John Mayer, The Barr Brothers, and a few others. Sadly, the cup does not runneth over.

Nothing new today will evoke emotions equal to the ones I experienced in my youth. I sometimes welcome a hint, an inkling of a haunting feeling when listening to a track from my college years. I mostly attribute these responses from a teenager's hindsight as opposed to a present-day by-product.
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One positive outcome in my quest for musical nirvana is that recording techniques of the 21st century have improved by leaps and bounds. During the last ten years, sound engineers have dug up master recordings of Genesis, Jethro Tull, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and many other artists in the hope of re-engineering them into 5.1 surround sound. When listening to these remastered versions, I almost feel like I did long ago. Occasionally, a tiny emotive spark is bright enough to illuminate my soul.