Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 16- October '21

Planted and Enchanted
Written By Evan Hammonds
 

You can enjoy the Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 16 playlist in its entirety on Spotify. Just click on the included Spotify plugin.

Playlist Highlight: Balance, Future Islands

I have a lot of Spotify playlists, which, you probably worked out for yourself given that I write for this website…which, you know, posts curated playlists. Some are genre or sub-genre based, others are oriented around mood, and there are ones I set up each month solely to set aside the music I listen to most during the period - my version of a musical time capsule.

I have some neurotic ones too, the byproducts of my anxiety disorder. One is called “People in the Car” which I created about four years ago for the sole purpose of having music earmarked for a hypothetical situation in which either a date or a group of people I didn’t know that well were to ride with me and I needed something at the ready to play that had a high approval rating.

I suppose there was some concern on my part that if I just played a song in my library at random, something “embarrassing” like Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection” (which is an extraordinarily good folk song that deserves its own article) would start playing and it would be humiliating, and that I might get laughed at or teased. For me, trying to be cool is a premeditated act.

These distorted thought patterns driven by some internal insecurity are somewhat unreasonable when deconstructed and scrutinized:

  • What is the probability that this would actually happen?

  • If it did, why would I choose to spend my time with people that would put me down over something so inconsequential?

  • Who am I to even say what is “embarrassing” or “not embarrassing”?

  • Even if my playlist was deemed “cool,” would that actually make a difference in that relationship?

  • Would these people (who again, only exist in abstract) even notice or care what I was playing in the first place?

  • If I did get teased, why couldn’t I just take it stride and laugh with them, rather than take everything so seriously?

  • Is it possible that music taste has nothing to do at all with a person’s value?

I haven’t posted any articles in several months because of mental health. When it’s bad like it has been lately, I stop listening to music altogether. I switch to podcasts because I find them more distracting, an easier way to numb, an easier way to get out of my own head.

However, sometimes a song comes along that helps, and this month’s playlist highlight, the 2011 track “Balance” from Baltimore-based, synth-pop band Future Islands is one such case.

It features prominently in another one of my playlists (the very one found in this article) called “Songs to Drive to.” This set is less a peer group of songs than a collection of vibes. The feeling of driving at night on an open highway. Where everything is okay.

“Balance” in particular stands out because its ultimate message is that painful times eventually end, even if it feels like they never will. You just have to remember:

It just takes time

A little trust and your time

You can change your life

It just takes time

A little trust and your time

During the process of writing this piece, I’ve deleted my “People in the Car” playlist, because upon reflection, I see that it was a side effect of subtractive and false self-beliefs. Perhaps - and it’s my hope - that a listen or two to “Balance” might help you drop something that’s been holding you back like it did for me.

What is Planted and Enchanted?

If you’re anything like me, you surely have a “junk drawer” somewhere in your home. It probably consists of an old flashlight with dead batteries in it, a handful of rubber bands alongside some pens running low on ink, enough loose keys for you to qualify as a middle school janitor, some birthday cards given to you years ago (how quickly can I throw these away without it being rude? Better wait another decade just to be safe.), the box to your old iPhone simply because it’s a pretty darn cool box, and a small library of service manuals for among other things: your refrigerator, hot water heater, and that Instant Pot you used just the one time.

I don’t consider my junk drawer “worthless” mind you, but rather see it a collection of delightful discoveries (Hey! I didn’t know I had a yo-yo!), and delightful rediscoveries (So that’s where my playing cards were!).

That’s my aim for this playlist series: Planted and Enchanted. A monthly track list consisting of songs that likely won’t fit perfectly together in a classic album sense, but are useful in planting the seeds of discovery of new genres, artists, and songs as well as the unearthing of music you loved but had long since forgotten about. Who knows, there may even be a hidden theme or two that the savvy listener can piece together. The best part about this playlist? If you don’t like it, that’s okay. We’re talking about junk after all.

If you have a specific song that you’ve recently discovered or come to love, we’d love to hear from you. Just email us at freshcutfinds@gmail.com. We’re planning to roll out more content and a new playlist series in the coming months. Stay tuned!

Each month, we put together a playlist of our favorite discoveries new & old. Each playlist will be about the length of a mix CD (80 mins) and will be sent around the 15th of each month. Subscribe with your email address to receive the monthly Planted and Enchanted playlist, plus other occasional speciaty playlists.

Evan Hammonds
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Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 17- December '21
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Planted and Enchanted: Vol. 15 - July '21