#1 - WHAT IS THE ONE ALBUM (OR EP OR SONG) THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE THE VERY NEXT MUSICAL THING THAT EVERYONE PRESSES PLAY ON THE NEXT TIME THEY FIND THEMSELVES THINKING “WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NOW”?

‘abysskiss’ by Adrianne Lenker is my favourite album of the moment; ‘terminal paradise’ in particular. The whole album is raging with intimacy; her voice as close as it can get, the gloomy fingerpicked acoustic guitar trembling with delicacy.

Adrianne keeps balancing a feather-like lightness and a quiet sort of darkness throughout each song. This harmony cannot only be found in her melodies and arrangements, but her lyrics are filled with a similar unity:

"See my death become a trail. And the trail leads to a flower."

‘abysskiss’ feels like a secret being told at 1AM; as if each line is sung just for me.

#2 - WHAT IS THE ONE MOVIE OR TV SHOW THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE NEXT IN EVERYBODY’S NETFLIX QUEUE (OK, DOESN’T HAVE TO BE NETFLIX, WE’RE ALL INTERNET ADULTS HERE AND KNOW HOW TO FIND ANYTHING ONLINE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER)?

I’d have to say Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. The motion picture tells the story of two lovers, who are desperate to erase each other from their mind. It gave me a lot of insight on the concept of memory and how we can sometimes dwell in the past. It’s heartbreakingly funny, imaginative, complex, but above all incredibly tender.

The soundtrack, composed by Jon Brion, is great as well and really does the screenplay great justice.

#3. I (AND BY “I” I MEAN “THE PERSON THAT IS READING THIS”) AM GOING TO THE BOOK STORE (OK, PROBABLY AMAZON) TO FIND THE VERY NEXT BOOK THAT I WILL BE PUTTING SOME EXTREMELY VALUABLE ‘ME-TIME' ASIDE FOR. WHICH BOOK WOULD YOU GET, IF YOU WERE ME (AND, I SUPPOSE, YOU HADN’T ALREADY READ WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO SUGGEST)?

The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger is most definitely my favourite book. Salinger is able to express the complexity of growing up through the character of Holden Caulfield. Though confused and stubborn, like most 16-year-olds, he is observant and perceptive and filled with a certain wisdom. Throughout the book you develop some sort of sympathy for him and his way of thinking, which is perfectly described.

The humour, the profanity and the repetitions illustrate the mind of a young adolescent:

“That's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they're not much to look at, or even if they're sort of stupid, you fall in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are. Girls. Jesus Christ. They can drive you crazy. They really can.”

I first read it as a teenager and I remember I could relate to many of the themes in the book: it explores the definition of innocence and the somewhat harshness of the ‘adult world’.

Another good read is ‘Remember, Body…’ by C.P. Cavafy. Especially when you’re in love.

#4 - WHAT IS THE ONE WEBSITE (OR JUST ANY OLD INTERNET THING: APP, GIF, SERVICE, WHATEVER) THAT YOU WOULD GET REALLY DOWN IN THE DUMPS ABOUT IF IT WERE TO SUDDENLY GO AWAY?

Probably Google Maps. I get lost a lot.

#5 - AND FINALLY… PLEASE GIVE ONE COMPLETELY UNAIDED RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START DOING / USING / WATCHING / EATING / THINKING / QUITING / ETC-ING TO MAKE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTER AND/OR BEARABLE.

Go for walks. Eat that cake in the middle of the night. Be kind towards others but mostly be kind to yourself. Use less plastic. Do everything with love, for what is done with love is well done.

OK folks, there you have it. Things that la loye think you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go walk to where you can buy a cake for eating later tonight, make sure to follow la loye on the Facebook & the Instagram and then pop over to Spotify or Youtube to do a little la loye audio sampling.