This morning I took the bus to work. It was my first day going back to the office and everything about it felt just a little off. I was running late since it had been forever since I needed to leave the house at any specific time. I even forgot my coffee as I ran out the door.
I stood at the bus stop with my mask and my best leave-me-alone face on. In public I’m still a bit wary of people. It’s the lingering trauma of the pandemic - not being able to turn off my heightened state of caution. When the bus pulled up I did my best to keep my distance. There was one window seat left near the back so I nudged my way through the crowd. I slid onto the seat, using my backpack as a shield against others, but felt something bulky under me. Leaning to one side, I pulled out something I hadn’t seen in years - an old Walkman, straight from my childhood. I looked around to see who had vacated the seat but no one met my eyes. Instinctually I popped it open to find a tape inside. Upon inspection I could discern no label or markings on the outside. Curiosity piqued, I pulled out my headphones, plugged them into the Walkman and hit play.
The city shuffled past my window as the bus moved from stop to stop. Music drifted into my ears, slowly growing louder. At first it seemed vaguely familiar but developed into sounds I’d never heard before. Time slipped away as my mind became fully absorbed in the music, transported outside my body.
The next thing I knew the tape hissed then clicked off. I snapped out of my daze just in time. My office was a short walk from the next stop.
My mood had completely reset, all negative thoughts evaporated. I gathered my things and stood up, eyeing my path to the door. I held the Walkman in my hand, eager to listen more. Who made this tape? Who left it here for me? I had a feeling, however improbable, that it was made specifically for me. I smiled as a thought crossed my mind.
Before moving to the door, I set the Walkman back on the seat - sort of on the edge where it blended in - just like I found it. Maybe the next person to find it will be transported to the same place as me.
Tracklist
“Holy Forest” - pinkshinyultrablast
“Rejoice” - Fiddlehead
“Jejune” - El Ten Eleven
“Keen on Boys” - The Radio Dept.
“Weed Pin” - Drug Church
“Skin Game” - DIIV
“Kicked In” - Superchunk
“Walk on the Moon” - Asobi Seksu
“Beat Up Shoes” - A Great Big Pile of Leaves
“I Can See It (But I Can’t Feel It)” - My Bloody Valentine
“Fluoxetine” - Hindsights
“How Does It Feel?” - Citizen
“Sports Car” - The Wedding Present
“Hold Open My Head” - Nai Harvest
“8105” - Moving Mountains
Playlist Links
This Week: Apple Music / Spotify
All: Apple Music / Spotify
—
The playlist links are always the same, so be sure to follow / subscribe.
Have a song you think is well-suited for these playlists, let us know.
Looking for more new music to explore, see what’s been added to Mellowlark recently.
—
Don’t forget, you’re halfway to the weekend!
did you find out what was on the tape?