Pictured above: TOBi

1. Julian Taylor – “Wide Awake”
The melody of “Wide Awake” is sunny; the instrumentation, charming Americana/roots; the singing, unaffected. But it’s the lyrics, bittersweet and heartfelt, layered with multiple meanings, that captivate me most. The verses of “Wide Awake” offer loving remembrances of family scenes from Taylor’s early and teenage years: drinking sorrel and ginger beer at Christmas with his folks; sharing meals out with his mom; racing around his granny’s house with his cousins as a lad. It gently, warmly honours his parents’ struggles for the betterment of his life. The chorus, taken literally, describes a sleepless night, triggered by “chasing shadows of my past,” as he considers old mistakes, choices, and heartaches. On another level, the song is also about becoming “woke,” not only in the current sense, but also to the array of possibilities open to us as we live our lives. Continue reading “Howard Druckman’s Top 12 Songs of 2022”