New Year's Day

So this is the new year - and I have no resolutions.

When I think of songs for the new year, there’s “Auld Lang Syne,” of course, but lately I associate that more with It’s Wonderful Life, which takes place on Christmas Eve; still, it’s hard to think of New Year’s Eve without “Auld Lang Syne.” But there’s also “New Year’s Day” by U2, which is hardly celebratory, and, I discovered today, one by Taylor Swift. I was secretly hoping that it was a cover of U2’s, somehow, but it’s not, and still not quite celebratory. It seems that musicians invoke New Year’s Day in a reflective or reactive way rather than sentimental. Maybe Ben Gibbard had it right in Death Cab for Cutie’s “The New Year”: “This is the new year / and I don’t feel any different.” But Death Cab is self-reflective by default, so that’s not quite fair. Hootie & The Blowfish and Pentatonix both invoke “like New Year’s Day” emotions, and Bon Jovi also sings about New Year’s Day (that’s all I have to say about that). Charlie Robison’s “New Year’s Day” is quite good, though, again, it’s an ironic invocation rather than sincere, like it’s supposed to be special but it’s just another day “on the border” for him. There are many, many other songs titled “New Year’s Day,” and the emotions are always mixed. It’s a new year, but, as with Charlie Robison, it’s also just another day of the week, in terms of how you feel or how you age. So it’s about setting something specific for yourself rather than letting a new year change you, and I suppose all of the emotions and memories of the holiday season really get people in a reflective mood. The transition is just as good as any other day, but more convenient. As always, Death Cab for Cutie is correct.

This year, I won’t do anything different, though I might slow down a touch, maybe three reviews a week rather than four. I also acquired a new turntable this holiday season, so I will probably write about vinyl more, and since I have my dad’s vinyl collection in my possession, I’ll listen to albums in that format when I can. My first listen was Cat Stevens’ Greatest Hits. It was fantastic. My first purchase: Death Cab for Cutie’s We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes from a bargain bin at a local store, and I love it. Everything about playing a vinyl record vs. playing a cd or digital version makes listening to the music that much different an experience. My kids have already asked why I have a record player when we could just ask Alexa, and I had to cheat a little and say, “it sounds different.” Of course, it does sound different, but it’s not just that, and it’s hard to describe to young kids who have never known cds or cassettes or 8-tracks or reel-to-reel. I will try to explain, over the next few months, as I pull out All Things Must Pass or The Cars or Heartattack & Vine or Catch a Fire from my dad’s collection. Also, not sure if everyone was aware, but vinyl is expensive! It brings me straight back to my teenage years with just enough cash for one cd or maybe two cd singles, and carefully assigning appropriate listening value to each prospective purchase. I am not sure how I will balance a growing record collection alongside my propensity to purchase books, but both habits are the most fun I can think of, and I’ll not apologize for collecting physical things of this sort. I will have to create a new budget line for 2026, not only to accommodate these objects but also to find places to put them.

This year, I have no resolutions. I am not going to do different things, per se; I mean, you have to change with each year to grow and adapt, stay healthy and keep up with your kids, but I don’t have any specific goals. I’ll just keep trying to get better at the things I already am - husband, father, son, person, citizen. And music enthusiast. Happy New Year!