ADD | OCD – Dear SSRI
Alchemy never became all it promised to be. Not that alchemists, or those studying the works of the great masters, will admit it. Ask them to show you a single piece of gold produced by alchemical processes, and they’ll tell you that was never the point and that only frivolity makes one actually create gold.
It’s all well and good to say that alchemy and similar esoteric practices just offer a set of values and a way of seeing the world. But when there are ways of actually creating valuable things out of thin air, alchemy starts to sound a bit like a scam.
What about the work of ADD | OCD, or any of the other great artists? What did they have before starting, other than a headache, feelings of sorrow and a desperate need to connect with the world? When they were taught, however, they had created beauty that could inspire others.
It’s very difficult to discuss and, especially, to describe not feeling well, not ticking right, not being totally balanced. Hundreds of millions of people struggle with both the feeling and the explanation. ADD | OCD’s bitterly funny “Dear SSRI” is one of the best attempts at explaining the feelings themselves beyond describing the symptoms. It also happens to be a strong, relatable alt-rock song, and I’ve no doubt many who will hear it will relate to it.
Amaury Laurent Bernier – Too Early At The Party
Yeah, sure, you keep telling me that W.A. Mozart was only eight when he composed his first symphony. He hadn’t even taken a lesson either. And, yes, his abilities only grew as he advanced into youth and manhood.
And while that’s intimidating, Mozart, as well, has to have been the product of his influences. He only, after all, had one teacher – his father. And, as much as we know, he only heard music played in Salzburg and Vienna by composers from the upper class. He couldn’t rely on all of the knowledge that Amaury Laurent Bernier, for example, can access.
Revive ol’ Mozart now, and you’re likely to force him into a nervous breakdown. Where would he start if he wanted to get up-to-date with all the music he’s missed? He’ll likely just hang up on Colombian cumbia for the first couple of years.
Amaury Laurent Bernier’s “Too Early At The Party” is interesting, especially because of the number of genres and styles that the musician manages to blend into one single pop song. It’s an example of virtuosity that is on par with Mozart’s achievement and one that couldn’t have occurred without great knowledge of pop music’s history or the ability to interpret it. Bernier doesn’t just have to rely on music heard from the concert halls of Salzburg and Vienna, and it shows.
