LISTENING TO - Earworms of 2025

Earworms tend to be those pieces of music which on first hearing you just cannot let them alone. Play them constantly, repeatedly, sometimes to the point of satiation. So what is gathered here at the end of this year are a unique selection of tracks that for one reason or another have hooked me completely. Its been a good year for female artists, simply because they've been doing a lot of the interesting stuff. Anyway here we go, the order is when they appeared in the year, not order of preference. 

Abracadabra  - Lady Gaga
Just when you thought Gaga was becoming too MOR, here she comes with a huge reboot to her catchy barmy best. As ever, it has you from its first opening chant, and does not let go of you until she has squeezed every ounce of bounce out of it. The video adds to the pure joy from start to finish. 

Big Booty - Moonchild Sanelly
If you want brazen in your face body positivity, a great tune and something you can dance to. Big Booty is the one you want, I just smile all the way through, this is cheeky on every possible level. She knows exactly what she is doing here.

Catch These Fists - Wet Leg
I had Wet Leg down as a one hit wonder, until I heard this. Giving it more grind and grunge they produce this belter, which comes out at you as if from nowhere. Rhian Teasdale has perfected her hard hearted stroppiness, whilst the band kick harder than ever before. 

Taxi Guy - A Certain Ratio
A Certain Ration are a favourite band from the 80's, who linger on with a few survivors to keep producing good music. Taxi Guy is this addictive piece of industrial world funk which they created and cornered the market in.

Tarkus - Emerson Lake & Palmer
This one caught me by surprise. A prog rock track from my 70's teenage years, that resurfaced during writing the My Most Loved Albums series. Its a superlative piece of hard rockin drivin jazz inflected flashy keyboard playin magisterial epic. It set the bar for many a progressive music band, that no one, even ELP could replicate.

They - Sparks
Any album from Sparks is welcomed by me, it was strange for me to find Mad! so pleasant, yet predictable. The EP which followed Madder! was much better, it has two absolute classics on it, but my favourite has to be They,  All the hallmarks of Ron Mael at his best. A song about dancers in a (strip ?) club failing to please 'the punters'.

Struggle With The Beast - Anna Von Hausswolff
After disappearing for five years Von Hausswolff returned with a hard hitting and cohesive album.. Like much of Iconoclasts, there is a veritable unrelenting wall of sound that Struggle with the Beast creates. Its the high point of the album, as it persistently drills intensity into you

Reliquia - Rosalia
It was hard to not include Berghain, but actually I adore this track the most, simply because its such an elegantly simple yet eclectic mix, there is classical, flamenco, electronic influences all extravagantly flourished here, topped by that beautiful breathy and expressive voice.  

RISING UP MY BOOK PILE - December 2025

My current book pile is getting to be a bit of a stack, and that's before Christmas. I haven't been devoting much time to reading, plus I am getting bogged down with one book. Theoretically I am in the middle of reading four books, but actually I'm only actively reading two.

The Less Dead by Denise Mina
One of the Scottish noir writers of detective fiction. Having read Conviction, I can tell you Denise Mina is probably one of the best such writers around. Looking forward to reading this one.
Bought from a Charity Shop

Alice Roberts - Domination

I've read her previous books on ancestry and burial practices. Like her TV presenting, her books are approachable, informative and immensely relatable. This one is about how the end of the Roman Empire coincided with the rise of Christianity.
Bought from The Whitby Bookshop

Zombies In Western Culture - Vervaeke, Mastropietro & Miscevic

A slim volume of what I suspect is more an academic outline than a fully fledged book. But I've heard John Vervaeke talking about this subject and its seems a more useful analogy than you might think. That the dominant presence of zombies in our popular movies is a reflection of our cultures unease with the loss of meaning. 
A Birthday Present
Currently Reading

The Mystical Thought Of Master Eckhart - Bernard McGinn
In my reading of Christian history and literature  I've been meaning to investigate the mystic apophatic tradition, of which Eckhart seems pretty central. This book has a favourable reputation as a broad introduction to his thought.
A Birthday Present

Migration.- W S Merwin 
A compendium of Merwin's poetry, unknown in the UK, but a much lauded man of US literature. I've taken to reading a couple of poems a day, at 529 pages I have around 170 to go. Its a bit like climbing a mountain, some very lovely views and aspects, but surrounded by a considerable amount of applied effort.  If I maintain my current level of reading, I may finish this compendium in February 2026.
Ordered from Holt Bookshop
Currently Reading

Beliefism by Paul Dolan

An apparently helpful book about how to avoid becoming polarised in our beliefs, and unable to hear opinions that don't accord with our own. A somewhat timely book. I believe I need a little help in this area myself, so lets see what this has to offer.

Bought from Book Hive Aylsham 

Poetic Diction - Owen Barfield
Subtitled -A Study In Meaning, Barfield was one of the 'Inklings' along with Tolkein & Lewis. An influential thinker whose ideas and theories about poetry and language are probably more wide ranging in their influence than I realise. I want to read this to see if I can get a grasp on what the fuss is about. Wish me luck, cos I think I might need it. Feeling a tad intimidated.
A Birthday Present

The Devil You Know by Dr Gwen Adshead & Eileen Horne
Again someone I've seen being interviewed on The Sacred podcast.  I'm always fascinated by people whose job is to interact with darker vile and unacceptable people in our society. Adshead is a forensic Psychiatrist whose patients are serial killers, arsonists, stalkers. Basicly the sort of folk the tabloids would label 'monsters'.
A Birthday Present

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (NEW)

Seen Harari speaking on videos several times and been really impressed with his clarity of thought and even handed nature. So I thought I'd read one of his highly thought of books.
Bought from Waterstones Norwich

The Shortest History of Japan by Lesley Downer (NEW)
I've been wanting to get a general overview of Japanese history for a while. There are plenty of lengthy magisterial tombes, that I wouldn't want to buy without some overall sense of how the history rolls out. There appears to be some sort of in joke going on between publishers about who has the briefest history.
Bought from Waterstones Norwich 

Trust by Hernan Diaz (NEW)
I heard about this from Dua Lipa's Book podcast Service 95. She was interviewing the author and this seemed an intriguing reading prospect. Four differing representations of the life of a controversial millionaire and his wife. I'm about three quarters through, and really enjoying it so far.
Bought from a Charity Shop

Currently Reading

The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware ( NEW)
I've been thinking about reading an introduction to Eastern Orthodoxy for a while So I bought this in a book sale, its a fifty year old book, with several revised editions before now. I'm finding it a bit dry historically, surprisingly not a lot of warmth or enthusiasm for his subject coming across. Hence, I am making slow if not dogged progress with it.
Bought from the Beccles Bookshop

Currently Reading

BOOKSHOPS

Book Hive, Norwich

Book Hive, Aylsham

Holt Bookshop

The Whitby Bookshop
Beccles Bookshop

FEATURE - Me Quedo Contigo by Rosalia

As I've been obsessively playing Rosalia's album Lux all week, You Tube has been equally obsessively throwing Rosalia videos at me. Which in this particular case I'm not complaining about. Me quedo Contigo is a classic flamenco love song from the 1980's, which Rosalia, with her ghostly choir backing, brings an intense passion that hardly requires translation. 

Unfortunately I've been unable to find a version of this video with English captions. It is clear that this is not going to be a chirpy song. It's full of pain and confusion, of love broken to pieces on stones, you know the story.  I found a site by vocal coach Beth Roars, who does a heartfelt analysis of it ( cue hand pressed to chest head tilted ) which does have a translation. She helpfully breaks down what a wonderful singer Rosalia is. This is a real treat.

SHERINGHAM DIARY No 133 - Undertones Of Mission Creep or Health Tyranny

November has been the month of a medical health review. Blood pressure steady.With controlling my diet, weight loss has been just over a stone in the last year. A recent blood test declared my health to be - satisfactory. (What a non-specific, vaguely disappointed by my lack of ambition, that term is, reminds me of my school reports ) The reading that diagnosed Pre-Diabetic last year, has dropped back to what is considered within the Normal range. Though because of the HA!, my own past confectionery consumption, and my family history of diabetes, I'm still considered 'at risk' of developing diabetes. I've therefore to maintain a gentle watchfulness. I saw how diabetes compromised the health and enjoyment of my Mum's later life, and I'd rather not have that, if I can prevent it. At the same time, I am a Lumb, brought up on sweet things for breakfast, dinner, tea and supper, so its a strong habitual sugar dependency that has been nurtured in me.  

Maintaining any healthy diet, can become a health risk in itself. One has to ask what type of health you are aiming at cultivating - medical, psychological, spiritual, financial, social even. To do 'healthier' well, requires a degree in self-knowledge and then to acquire the altogether subtler art of self management. I started this year with controlling consumption of full on confectionery and sweet things in general. A couple of specially chosen exemptions being made. I didn't aim for completely forboden. When we went out for coffee I tried to replace cake with a tea cake whenever available. But as the year has progressed the boundaries of those few exemptions has become quite permeable, shall we say. Any practice asks you to routinely monitor where you are at with it all, simply to keep it within 'healthy' parameters.

It certainly means applying a gentle self-discipline, when you become aware of the undertones of 'mission creep' beginning. Stopping eating highly processed, high carbohydrate sweet things entirely might draw a firm clear line, but I wouldn't stick to such a high bar. Occasional enjoyment has to be OK however finely delineated, but I have to admit that even this is not an easy position to hold myself steady on. I am reminded of Stephen Covey's analogy, that an airplane's course is never straight and direct, it always requires constant course corrections. Maintaining a diet, apparently, is like that too, its the general direction you are heading in that is important. On the spectrum of Obese Glutton - Dad Bod - to Svelte where am I currently?  I'm walking down the low hills of Bod, with a misty eyed vision of the Svelte valleys ahead

My other related daily routines, that might come under the broad and vacuously trendy banner of 'well being' such as morning meditation, Tai chi, journaling, resistance band exercises, these I'm keeping up with. Because they are things I largely enjoy and feel the benefit from. Alert to my tendency to freeze practices like these into rigidly enforced commitments. Having to acknowledge that I can have too much of even a good thing.

At present, I'm actively coaching myself in taking a more balanced relaxed approach. To feel more at ease with moderating any practice whenever that feels appropriate, without berating myself for being this weak willed failure at self discipline. To have an open hearted and receptive response to what I decide to do each day. So the nature of my days doesn't feel entirely prescribed or pre-ordained. In the past I have succumbed deeply to doubt, and been completely on, or completely off, with any daily practice. Being happy to modulate them in this manner, actually feels quite a step forward.

The weather in November has been so damned unpredictable, more often stormy and wet, than sunny but chilly. I've been forced to spend more time indoors than perhaps I'd have liked. Though I have finally finished prepping the gardens for winter, which took some consistency in re applying effort, given the persistent interruptions from the turbulent nature of the weather. This present week is relatively calm, I've made the most of it by taking a daily walk in Sheringham Park, or schlepping back from town after my Tai-chi class. A walk every day is the ideal, but that isn't always practically feasible. 

I now have an app on my smart phone that monitors the number of steps I walk, and rewards me with fatuous 'Heart Points' when I raise my heart beats sufficiently. Whether I achieve this comes down. I have found, to the difference between a gentle stroll and a brisk walk. You get a report each day and a weekly aim. Used as a guide this is fine, but I can see that if I did raise my ardency to fully adopt this, how it could easily become another form of health tyranny. Belting up any steep incline I encounter. Luckily there aren't many of those in Norfolk.

On our one and only pre-Christmas visit into Norwich, on the Park & Ride Bus, travelling into town we passed a Sandwich Cubicle with the simple, yet innuendo packed name of Hazel's Big Baps. As we proceeded down the scuzzy alternative delights of Magdalen Street, I spotted a cafe window which professed on its window decal that it served Coffee and Inappropriate Conversation. Or did I misread that?

LISTENING TO - Lux by Rosalia

Boy oh, Boy oh, Boy, are we being treated to a beaut of a late late entry to album of the year here. After Anna Von Hausswolff's album Iconoclasts at the end of September, I thought that award had definitively been sewn up. But there we are, just a few days after Iconoclasts was released, came Lux by Rosalia, and the Catalan has stamped in her claim. Lux is shockingly good, on first hearing I was momentarily lost for appreciative words. Opening with the two minutes plus of Sexo, Violencia y Llantas, she lays out her first statement of intent, and it startles you into giving this album your full and present attention. As a career move, plus the quality of the songwriting, this is such a surprise your jaw can only drop.

This is adventurous,passionate, ravishingly beautiful, shocking and gut wrenching, frequently all within one song. And that one song is the lead track released in advance of the album - Berghain, featuring Bjork and Yves Tremor. It hits you strongly from its opening chorus sung in German - 'His fear is my fear, His rage is my rage, His love is my love, His blood is my blood', into which Rosalia's delicate soprano voice enters operatically 'I keep many things in my heart, That is why my heart is so heavy' and later 'I know very well what I am, Tenderness for coffee' Then comes an interlude and Bjork's  recognisable manner of phrasing intoning the line 'the only way to save us is through divine inter -vention'. 

It is clear throughout Berghain ( which means mountain grove in German, and is also a secretive underground Berlin Nightclub ) that this song is not always talking about mundane ordinary love. In fact the song contrasts the debasement of plain love in comparison to surrendering to the uplifting liberating quality of saintly love. Ending with a rare male voice on this album making a startling and unsettlingly repeated declaration - ' I'm going to fuck you til you love me'   I mean, this is simultaneously as invigorating as a cold shower and a deeply unnerving slap. And this song becomes an achoring talisman for the style and tone of the rest of the album. Beautifully written and sung songs about the testing steady nature of divine love set against the tawdry erratic and sometimes tragic nature of its terrestrial version. 

Rosalia took two years off in order to research female saints and sages, fine tune her songwriting, and learn how to write in a baroque musical style. Much has been made in the publicity of the thirteen different languages she sings in on this album. All this intense creative effort might end up feeling more than a tad pretentious for a modern popular songwriter, if it wasn't pulled off with such a committed and totally captivating flourish. She really does know what she is trying to convey here, and brings to it a heft and profundity you really do not find very often in music. It is hard to not resort to hyperbole over the quality of what you are hearing here. Repeated listens, do however, only reveal still more of its spiritual depths and emotional range, the bursting romanticism at its core. At some point words themselves fail you, they start to feel increasingly inadequate representatives for feeling.

Whatever Rosalia touches she does make entirely her own. Whether that is classical orchestration, the operatic control, flashbacks to her flamenco past, eruptions of contemporary electro beats, all of these things really shouldn't meld so well on a modern pop album, but they do here, because she is right, left and centre holding it together. One of the best examples is Reliquia. A ravishingly simple song about sacrifice and loss. It begins listing a litany of losses, but the music has a joyful feel as if its casting aside and letting go of the body shamed stigmata of modern life and love. 

I lost my hands in Jerez and my eyes in Rome
I grew up and learned audacity around there in Barcelona
I lost my tongue in Paris, my time in LA
My heels in Milan, my smile in the UK

But my heart has never been mine, I give it away
Take a piece of me, keep it for when I'm gone
I'll be your relic

But after ending with

Eternal, agitated sea, the eternal song
Has neither exit, nor my forgiveness

then, wow, it bursts into this concluding gloriously exstatic eruption of drums and sharply edited electro beats. 

There are far too many noteworthy songs on this album, to mention them all. My current most beloved one is Mio Christo Piange Diamanti ( My Christ Cries Diamonds ). Rosalia says this is the nearest thing she has written to an operatic aria, and it certainly has the suggestive feel of one. Sung in Italian, she shows off the complete expressive register of her voice, the end result is impressive. Her voice, though not trained in the manner of a professional opera singer, has a natural vocal dexterity and often an earthy expressive ease, an intimate quality in the smallest husky vocal inflection. Plus a firm directness and honesty with which she convinces you that whatever it is, this is a vocal performance worth listening to. Ending on one crystal clear top note. I can't recommend this album highly enough.

Bellissimo, Bellissimo, Bellissimo

CARROT REVIEW - 8/8