When I use my iPod, I usually have it on shuffle and listen to individual songs instead of albums. For the past month or so, I've been listening to albums and most of the time doing so does nothing to change my opinion of an artist or album. Once in a while, though, I've come across a great album, like Lamya's Learning from Falling that's more than a collection of songs that were thrown together for one reason or another. Lamya is best known for Empires and while I like that track (and absolutely love the remixes), Black Mona Lisa is my favorite song. I freely admit my love of this song is because of an emotional connection rather than any qualitative artistic merit. My favorite verse is
I used to be a connoisseur Of hate, self hate, paternal hate Hate cum gratis I connected every kind Sipping it like red wine The insecurity was mine The ties that bind were My design
Though now I can see why I connected with this song, back in 2002 when the album was a bit more... clueless. Isn't it strange how we can be blind to the obvious? Sadly, Lamya died earlier this year of a heart attack at the age of 35. Maria Lawson covered Black Mona Lisa but I don't care for it since Lawson's arrangement didn't add anything to the original.
