Nostalgia is a beautiful, cruel thing. A necessary and unavoidable part of growing older, it is a mischievous child who takes what you once possessed and held dear, and shows it to you as it runs off, laughing. Every once in awhile you catch a glimpse of it, and my song choice this week captures it.

Trembling Blue Stars is a London based outfit made up primarily of Bobby Wratten, with 20 years of British indie pop gold backing him (The Field Mice, Northern Picture Library) and Beth Arzy (aberdeen). Beth is a relatively recent addition to the lineup, and her smooth, straightforward vocal lends itself perfectly to the mix. Idyllwild may not be the best Trembling Blue Stars song, but it is my personal favorite. You will find it on their 6^th and most recent album, The Last Holy Writer. It is sweet and melancholy, and tells the story of best friends parted by an ocean and the passage of time.

Idyllwild is a window to a particular time and place in my life, to the point that some of the words are even mine. I am grateful to have it, and glad to share it.

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