December 2021.

This is where traditionally there would some kind of moral to the story. What I have learned, what I liked, what I didn't like. But as with almost everything in life, it is just not that simple. There was a lot to love, a lot to feel apathetic about, a lot to feel frustrated by, and a lot to feel conflicted over. Music is not a black and white medium. 

Ultimately, I have enjoyed it, and I do feel more rounded in my musical knowledge as a result. But when I think of what I really enjoyed... the acoustic moments when Taylor moved away from the mainstream, the quirky edge to some of Kate Bush's stuff when she moved away from the hits, the first Eurythmics album, the Memphis soul of Irma Thomas... it's the world of indie I find myself turning to again and again in terms of references, comparisons, a barometer. 

And that is not to say that the takeaway is "I was right all along." Far from it. There have been some genuine surprises - the Bob Marley catalogue, XTC's long arc from post-punk to "orchoustic," even how much I didn't take to 2Pac, which I expected to rather like. I think the lesson I feel I've learned the most is that if you like something, that's okay. You don't need to be Wikipedia. The last man who knew everything died a long time ago, and you ain't him, sunshine. 

I know a lot of people with broader, deeper, wider taste than me, and I wish them every success. But here I am, listening to the Television Personalities, songs I have almost certainly heard hundreds of time before. And they sound glorious.

It's been a year to remember. That's all I ever wanted. Carry on dreaming your magnificent dreams.