things not to do

Put on a terribly depressing album while sitting in an apartment all by yourself.
Well, unless it is something as marvelous as "In the Wee Small Hours".
I have been trying to dig a bit deeper into Sinatra's catalogue than before and this one seems like the perfect soundtrack to a humid summer night.
It is more sparse than his other works, but the limitlessness of just a piano and the occasional strings make the melancholy within that much sadder.
Even though the subject matter is inherently heartbreak, Sinatra's vocals are so smooth and pristine, it is almost enough to skate over his somber lyrics.
But, not accepting the downtrodden tunes for what they are is a mistake. Supposedly this record was made when he was totally bummed from his relationship with Ava Gardner dissolving.
When most of us suffer through a breakup we put on some sad bastard music and sift through the pain.
Thank God Ol' Blue Eyes experienced the same heartache, so the rest of us would have something to listen to at our low times.