I realised a while back that I don’t really like music. A weird jumble of strumming, blowing and plinky-plonking is by and large an irritant to my ears. I genuinely dislike most music and thus find events where music plays a central role a little painful. However, a few bands manage to find their way down my ear canal and find favour.
Reef is one of those bands – a West Country rock outfit that released four wonderful albums before most of you were born. The reason some music finds favour with me is not because of any musical reasons, but because it finds an emotional connection, feels like it’s part of me in some way.
‘Consideration’ is one of the songs when Reef tone down the growly rock and go for an emotional rock squawk instead. It’s a beautiful song with a lyrical content which I wish the world would take on board. The opening lyrics proclaim, “I don’t think that kindness is a weakness; I don’t have a problem with compassion.” It’s a simple sentiment, but if we as a people were kinder and more compassionate, particularly to those undeserving of kindness, then the world would be a richer place. Kindness, like unkindness, is infectious and I know what I would prefer to become a pandemic.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a remarkable insight into an era that we can never experience, hidden in one of the most charming, heart breaking, and life affirming novels that I have read.