I’m a bad driver–there’s absolutely no denying it. Even after I braved a severe weather alert and survived it, I still consider myself a bad driver. For months after I was granted a driver’s license, I kept my adventures between Lis Rose’s house, my house and the church–a one mile stretch of straight road with a 25 mph speed limit. Until I started college last year, I had never driven in a real city (if you can even call Pocatello a “real city”) or on the interstate.
And even last spring, I didn’t drive on the interstate because I was driving the Comet – a 1976 Mercury that my great-grandmother left my father in her will.
Now, I have a new car – one that can easily make the trip from Pocatello to Declo and back. I hate that drive.
Don’t get me wrong–its super easy. No traffic and straight roads, but its really boring. Luckily, 2011 produced some really great albums that have gotten me through that drive and much more.
Coldplay’s “Mylo Xyloto” – I have no clue what the name means, and if we trust Chris Martin (which I normally do), the band hasn’t a clue what the name means either. What I do know is that this album is magic. Its not an album like Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”–it won’t have five number-one singles and most of its songs won’t be played at the junior high formal. This is the album to listen to when you need to escape from life. It’s a continuous journey that transports us to a different place. Maybe that’s why the title has no known meaning–you have to discover it for yourself.
Fave song: Us Against the World
Adele’s “21″: I know exactly why this album is called “21.” She wrote these songs when she was 21-years-old, and, as I get older, I realize how young that actually is. This is the work of someone much older–someone who has seen everything and understands the implications of life. She found a way with 2011′s top selling album to connect with us all. Her album is a quiet conversation with your best friend. And, while I would love to live next door to Adele, to be her friend, I also need her to be heartbroken so we can have more stunning albums like this one.
Fave song: Someone Like You
Maroon 5′s “Hands All Over”: I will fondly remember 2011 as the year I fell madly, deeply, in love with Adam Levine. It all started when I told me he was never going to leave my bed…just kidding. Now, this is an album that has had number-one singles and will be played at the junior high formal. This album is one of the best for driving in the car–it mixes upbeat songs like Moves Like Jagger and Misery with sweet songs like Just A Feeling and How. You could call it superficial compared with heartfelt albums like “21″ and “Mylo Xyloto” but sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”: Every summer, my family loads up the suburban and embarks on a journey to Southern California, a 13-hour drive. Last summer, we made the decision to make the trip in a single day beginning when my parents and siblings were released from school. Luckily, Lady Gaga’s new album had been released earlier that week; I bought it in preparation of the long drive. Around Vegas, everyone except my father and I had fallen asleep. I popped in the CD (we’d been saving for a moment of real need) and we listened to it for the rest of the drive. Something I’ll never forget: my dad putting his paws up for Lady Gaga. It could be called over-the-top, maybe sacrilegious, but always fun. She’s stunned us in meat dresses and giant eggs–the only way to top herself was to show up as a man. It’s Gaga’s world…the rest of us just live in it.
Fave song: You and I (Disclaimer – its a weird video, but one of the better love songs of all time)
