Calming, dreamy, and all sorts of winsome, this is perhaps my most loved playlist. From the twinkly confines of my duvet, I pop this baby on to coax myself out of bed and into real life. It’s playing as I shower, as I sit mindlessly in a fluffy towel for twenty minutes, as I brush my hair and pull on my jumper and scamper on into the outside world. It’s on when I come home later in the day to ‘work,’ candles flickering as Billie, Ella, and Chet croon out of my shitty speaker (the crackling audio adds to the vintage vibes... no?). It’s on when I prep dinner and you can bet if I ever have a date round, this pretty thing will be playing loud and clear.
Besides its general ability to cause swooning there’s something about soft, romantic jazz that manages to convince you you’ve got life in some sort of order. If you’re on the floor eating last night’s remains of a Dervish extra-pineapple 10 inch but you’re also listening to Edith Piaf you’re doing just spectacular, really. Waking up in a stranger’s house at 12:03 on a Tuesday? Bet you’ve got Dean Martin playing on your walk home, you all star. An 8 on that last essay? Who cares, you listen to Les Paul. You are someone I want to be.
In all seriousness, this mix is a smidge on the gloomy side (in a hopeless romantic sort of way). Pining pansies beware, this playlist will tug at your heartstrings like none has ever before. I’m not kidding you, this baby is an audible cupid’s arrow. Except you’re shooting yourself. For optimum user experience, I suggest you save your first taste of this bad boy till you’re curled up somewhere cosy and nursing a hot beverage of choice. A lit candle or two as well, please and thank you.