Was my love of music doomed from the very moment of its inception? I think so.

Here's another TMT feature article that does a great job of discussing music from a really unique vantage point. This one aims to understand our "compulsion to hear again." That is, "Why are we compelled to hear the same song a hundred times when there is so much music unheard?" The author decides that if we hear a song that we like, we are compelled to listen to it again, in the hope that we will like it equally (repeat our experiece) the second time. But the catch is that the second time will never be as good "because of the idealizing work of memory" and the inability of reality to live up to our idealized memories. Sound familiar, college students? It's all based off some theories by a philosopher named Kierkegaard.

The article is really well-written, name-checks Lightning Bolt, and has a really sweet picture at the top (which I stole for this post). All pluses in my book. Check it out.

Link: A Eulogy for Transcendental Music Experience: An Article After Kierkegaard’s Repetition

Now listening to: Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)