The New Spring ‘The Moon’

How has the end of the year crept up so quickly? I’m trying to fit in visits to as many family members as possible before Christmas, which is proving more difficult than I thought with busy schedules and extortionate train fares. I find myself looking forward towards the end of 2017 because I view it as a kind of ‘reset’ button, but we all know that the week after the Christmas break the pace will be the same, if not even quicker than it is now. I still fully subscribe to school term time, and am routinely disappointed when the whole working world is not afforded a week’s holiday in October, or a progress report at the end of December. My habits are so ingrained from my school days that I still spend Sunday evenings ‘pampering’ myself (although some would call washing your hair basic hygiene) – I apply a face mask, rub oil onto my cheeks, brush my hair, and lounge around in silky pyjamas. I used to do this every Sunday night before school, hoping to catch the eye of that week’s crush with my incredibly moisturised skin (note- 14 year olds do not need to wear eye cream – 23 years olds on the other hand, do). Whether I perform this weekly ritual or not, I still wake up on Monday mornings with bed hair and a little streak of crusty dribble on my chin, but I at least am able to feel somewhat glamorous and French for a few hours a week. These small acts of self care are so important to overall mental health – and sometimes it’s work. Applying eyeliner is difficult to do with blurry morning eyes and so is scheduling in a yoga session late at night when you just want to veg out on the sofa. But if we’re all honest about it, so is brushing your teeth – nobody really enjoys doing it, but you do it because if you didn’t all your teeth would fall out. If I didn’t perform these little acts of self care, my brain would rot like unbrushed teeth and fall out of my head. ANYWAY, today I’ve been listening to the new single ‘The Moon‘ from The New Spring, AKA Danish songwriter Bastian Kallesøe, and I’ve fallen pretty hard for it. Chirpy electric guitars and warbling synths are juxtaposed with sombre reverb heavy vocals, as shuffling drums give the track a kind of kinetic urgency. Sweeping strings and subtle vocal harmony add a touch of romance, crossing the boundary between whimsy and serious emotion. Enjoy.