"THE FAMILY IS MOVED AS ONE"- TIME SPENT WITH GRAY/SMITH'S SELF-TITLED LP
Saturday 23rd July 2022-
My son’s birthday was yesterday but I was at work for the most of the day so I didn’t get to see him all that much. To make up for it, we spent a long and adventurous day today exploring our on foot. We hit the pavement around 9a. Times are skint (city life) so no buses for us. Hills, hills, hills. We saw a man by the pavilion playing fiddle to an audience of no one but us, then wandered over to the local mall square where we watched another man play space music on a double neck SG through a wah and other assorted pedals while playing drums with his feet. Myself and the man made eye contact and smiled at one another. Afterwards we made the trek to another park where my son hung out on the swings for awhile then we made our way home in order to beat the heat. He had a snack then a nap. A couple of hours later my son woke up and my wife and I played and read with him in the lounge. I then took him to yet another park in hopes of catching a “Pride As Resistance” parade but had just missed it. I spent the little change I had in my pocket on a soft serve ice cream cone for him. He’s not quite got the hang of eating ice cream cones yet and will take a small lick then sit there and watch it melt in his hands. I normally do damage control by sharing it with him but on this day he had several meltdowns whenever it was my turn for a go. That’s okay, I don’t like to share my ice cream cones either.
It is now tea time. The glowing spectre of the golden hour is upon us, warmly radiating through our lounge windows. My son and I put in a lot of miles on this day and are both ready to wind down. Sometimes he expresses his exhaustion in frantic ways and sometimes he surrenders to his tiredness and gently rides the waves. Just like the rest of us. This evening fortunately he is moving smooth with the flow. Weeks ago, I received the Gray/Smith self titled LP in the mail but had not given it a just listen. At this moment I knew it was time to drop the needle. Nice. It is warm and melancholy. Like a letter from an old, dear friend. It is exactly what is needed for our evening. I am practically moved to tears over this work of sound. It spoons the past eight hours perfectly. My wife brings up our dinner and places it on the table and I put our son in his high chair. We sit down and begin to eat. I silently thank the cosmos for my food and then thank my wife aloud for cooking our meal. I take my time and enjoy what is in front of me. My son bops his head up and down, smiling. My wife comments that she too is enjoying the album. The family is moved as one.
As I think birthdays for children should be celebrated longer than a day, my wife and I decided that a week of partying for our little one would suffice. Each day I put a bit more effort into the time we spend together and give him extra hugs. We bring the party to an end on Sunday the 30th with a family and friends gathering in our garden. Invites have gone out, a tent has been pitched, food/recipes/snacks have been planned and all else tightly in the sorting stages. Every night my wife writes/plans for the big day in her “to do book”. I applaud the dedication and heart that she is putting into this celebration. I do what I can in between her hustle. It's very exciting. A radiance surrounds this week leading up to the grand event.
This morning I took my son to nursery and then walked back home. I did my usual routine and then sat down with my tea. I put on Gray/Smith’s album to spend some alone time with it. Two listens in a row. Such a fresh listen on this beautiful, breezy July morning. Meditation by the sill in the chair where I love to sit and write. Warmer every rotation. More is felt each repeat. The space between the notes, the snap of a drum is heavier every time I listen back. So much patience and delicacy went into these guitar/drum/voice songs. It drips with authenticity. It’s a lonesome sound yet capable of bringing many people together (even beyond the heads). The writing is superb as is the performance and production. This isn't tossed together by any stretch. I’ll spare the reader of genre comparisons or “for fans of” and other “one sheet” garble about who did what or any of that static. Thanks to Gray/Smith for sharing this beautiful album with the world. Purchase this fine LP/digital here.
Blessed be,
Roger
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