Old Pine by Ben Howard

So pretty much all I've been listening to this year is 'Old Pine' by Ben Howard, especially during this hell of a SWOTVAC. And the more I listen to it, the more I fall in love with it, in every way possible. The instrumental, Ben's voice, the lyrics. But, I wanted to explain how I fell in love with the song. All it took was the first 10 seconds.

In the "Every Kingdom" version of 'Old Pine', the first 40 seconds of the song is a beautiful guitar instrumental. You know how you're told never to judge a book by it's cover, and how you need to know more about whatever it is you're exposed to to make an informed decision? Well, this song is definitely not the case. The first 10 seconds is all I needed to decide that it was going to be my answer to the classic "what is your favourite song" question. It is just so serene. It gives me the sensation of like I'm walking through a beautiful countryside meadow with the sun on my skin. And I can smell daisies...or maybe that's just my perfume. How do I say it? This is actually one of the most picturesque songs I have ever heard, and most of it has been achieved without a single word being sung.

There is also laziness portrayed in the song that actually makes me want to just let myself go. To let my body hang. My arms limply by my side, my head lolling to one side. Not in a 'giving up' kind of way, or a 'playing dead' way. No. In an 'I am completely, 100%, fully relaxed' way. It just calms me. It makes me forget about all my worries and troubles. I think I've just de-stressed myself this year by listening to 'Old Pine' non-stop. And then the soft vocal 'oohs' come in, and I get the sensation that I've melted away and I am a part of the clouds. Yes, you read that right. Not that I'm floating on the clouds, but actually a cloud. I get shivers up my spine. It's night time. I can see fireflies (even though I've never seen fireflies in my life)...or fairies. I don't know, but it feels very ethereal. Ben, India and Chris' 'oohs' are intertwined together in such a magical way.

I can't even begin to explain how the rest of the song makes me feel. Sometimes, I catch myself smiling like a crazy person whenever I'm listening to this song. Other times, I feel like crying. Most of the time, I am just dazed by it's perfection. I love how at different points in my life, at different emotional states, I have a different reaction to this song.

If you have not heard this song, or discovered Ben Howard, get on it! He is a musical and lyrical genius.

How great and comfortable does he look with a guitar?!