Congrats! You made it through the hurricane. So by now you’ve probably exhausted your music supply from hours of rainy day listening, and are looking forward to getting out and enjoying some nicer weather. But you don’t know where to hike, and what to listen to. Like a high school boy’s late night text, ‘I can fix that ;)’.
This week’s hike is to Battery Kemble Park. I hadn’t been here until this year, and I couldn’t believe how nearby it is. To get there, walk northwest on Nebraska Ave until it splits to Foxhall Road. The empty block has a trail that leads through a wooded ravine into a massive and hilly field used as dog park. These aren’t ordinary dogs though. They are the 1% of dogs. Dogs so bourgeoisie, they have lives much better than literally 50% of humans on earth. So go check out the poodles, and the great trails that will take you all the way down to the Potomac from near campus!
This is my first article, so I found it appropriate I start with my favorite piece of music I’ve heard thus far. Since my sophomore year, when I heard “Year of Hibernation” by Youth Lagoon, I haven’t found an album quite as good. Kinda disappointing, considering how many hours a day I spend on Spotify. But seriously, it is one of those albums where you cannot find a bad song.
Personally, I like quiet and simple music. Extended buildups- yeah that too. Keep in mind I don’t know any music terminology, so you’re going to have to bear with me. The opening track “Posters”, sets a somber mood finished by the best indie music beat drop I’ve ever heard. The next two songs are incredibly original and happier tunes that will make you wonder “how haven’t I heard this sequence of notes before?…”
Around this point seems to be a turning point of the album, pivoting towards a deeper, more intense introspection after the track “17”. The lyrics of “17” describe the bittersweetness of teenage years: lighthearted youth mixed with insecurity.
The next song, July, is quite possibly the best song I’ve ever heard. Lyrically it continues with the bittersweet nostalgia of youth. Trevor Powers sings of a breakup, and imagery that sends me right back to a summer night watching July fireworks. Save this one for climbing the hill in the dog park. But seriously, enjoy this great album and a great hike that is so close to campus.