close enough to be your ghost

I've been working non-stop this week, and my brittish list has fallen by the wayside because my iPod is dead.

But in music news important to me, Julian Casablancas was on the August 12 cover of NME. They airbrushed the hell out of his face, but who cares? The man is back.

Of course I prefer him au naturale, like in this photo posted on Oh Someday (Strokes Live Journal forum). His sense of style mixes geek chic with classic rock idol.

I also bought Humbug, the 3rd album by Arctic Monkeys. It's dreamier than their previous efforts (Alex Turner takes a cue from Lou Reed's breathless voice in "Sunday Morning"), but retains the strong, stabilizing drums of Matt Helders and the dark, ominous moods that seemto inspire Turner to write. I love these lads, and my favorite new song so far is "Cornerstone.

I thought I saw you in The Battleship but it was only a lookalike

She was nothing but a vision trick under the warming light

She was close, close enough to be your ghost

But chances turned to toast when I asked her if I could call her your name.

I thought I saw you in The Rusty Hook, huddled up in a wicker chair

I wandered over for a closer look and kissed whoever was sitting there

She was close and she held me very tightly until I asked politely

"Please can I call you her name?"

I elongated my lift home

I let him go the long way round

I smelt your scent on the seat belt and kept my short cuts to myself

I thought I saw you in The Parrot's Beak messing with the smoke alarm

It was too loud for me to hear her speak and she had a broken arm

It was close, so close that the walls were wet

And she wrote it out in Letraset

"No, you can't call me her name."

Tell me where's your hiding place

I'm worried I'll forget your face

I've asked everyone

I'm beginning to think I imagined you all along

I saw your sister in The Cornerstone on the phone to the middle man

When I saw that she was on her own I thought she might understand

She was close, well you couldn't get much closer

She said "I'm really not supposed to but yes, you can call me anything you want."