February 13, 2004 10:36 AM

I bought $4-worth of stamps with a 20. Now I have 16 gold doubloons aye matey.

I listened to Darkness this morning. I figured out that part of why I find it so compelling is because it trasverses the distinction between music and life. You'd easily imagine him speaking the same way as he sings. The delicate instrumentation is the only confirmation that what you're listening to is indeed an album. It compliments Oldham's voice, never outweighting him. The production is transparent.

Beautiful, really.