Pop.

With the start of a new year, my thoughts have inevitably turned toward what I’m going to do with it, music-wise.

This will be no ordinary calendar year, as it will be bisected almost exactly by my fortieth birthday.

Now, a birthday of that magnitude might seem to argue for musical maturity. Perhaps this should be the year I get heavy into subdued, sensitive jazz, maybe some Bill Evans, or deeper into Antonio Carlos Jobim. Or maybe it’s the year to tackle the Ring Cycle.

Instead, I think I will go the opposite route: I’ve tentatively decided that 2013 will be the Year of Power Pop.

Yes, I’m going to spend the majority of my time with ringing guitars, crisp harmonies, lyrics about cars and girls, and songs that say it all and get out in three-minute packages.

(And of course I’ll write about it here. Maybe not every single week, but fairly consistently.)

Power pop is a genre I’ve always enjoyed, and I’ve already got a fair amount of it in my collection. This feels like a good year to dive in deeper and swim around for a while.

And it’s an easier, cheaper boost to the middle-aged spirit than buying a convertible, a Harley or a beach house.

I’ve already started composing a playlist in my head. If anyone out there has any suggestions that are especially dear to your heart, you know where the comments are.

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