After a half hour of meditation and over an hour of laying awake in bed, I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm unlikely to get much sleep tonight. So be it. To apply something I learned in tonight's class, I might be in a state of Rajas. If it continues for more than two nights in a row, then I'll have cause for worry. But for now, I'll accept it, and write a little something that's been bubbling at the back of my mind for several weeks now.

I have come to the undeniable conclusion that out of all the cds I have purchased during the past year, my favorite one by far is Sarah Fimm's Nexus. In a year that saw new releases from old favorites Tori, Trent, and Garbage, this was not an easy feat! But over the past several months, Sarah's music has consistently found its way back into my portable player, my xmms playlist, and my brain.

Sonicly, I would describe the music as possessing a sort of down-tempo electronic bliss. Understated and smooth. Virtually every track also contains lots of delicious piano work. The production is spotless. Sounds blend together in a symbiosis of synthetic and organic beauty, giving the music a dreamy, relaxing feel.

Sarah's voice.... Well, she's an angel. That's all there is to it.

Also: The music grows on you. Big time. The first few listens, I found it merely pleasant -- a worthy followup to to the excellent album, A Perfect Dream -- but increasingly, I hear in Nexus a masterpiece in a league of its own. Calling Nexus a good followup to A Perfect Dream would be like calling NIN's Downward Spiral a good followup to Pretty Hate Machine and Broken. All these albums are excellent, but in both cases, the artist really takes it to a whole new level as they grow.

But I still haven't gotten to the best part: The lyrics.

Some of the stuff she sings is so resonant, that I've gotten into the habit of listening to it (or even just remembering words as songs go through my head during the day) as a way to find my spiritual center.

Though I'm not going to quote from all the songs (only my very favorites), there is definitely a thematic progression that builds throughout the album.

The song Be What You Wanna Be could easily be my anthem for life right now:

(links added by me, based on my own interpretations of what I strongly suspect Sarah to be referencing.)

Simple words, perhaps, but such powerful statements. (Especially if you've ever lived through bouts of existential depression.)

Or how about Paradise.

Another favorite of mine, the haunting lines of December. (Artists can be visionaries. I wonder: Has Sarah sensed the impending collapse too?)

But as the album draws to a close, she broadens the scope to let us see our place in things. From Great Wide Open, a gorgeously orchestrated expanse of wonder.

I LOVE this album. Therefore, I encourage all my readers to at least go download some mp3s for a listen or two. If you decide you like it enough to buy the album, you can rest happy in the knowledge that not a penny of it will go to the RIAA goons.

Now that I've gotten that little bit of raving out of my system, I shall again attempt sleep. But first, I simply must hear these new radio clips that I see which recently appeared on Sarah's site featuring a few live on-air performances. Sweet.