1996 was the year Patti Smith returned, when  R.E.M. did their last good album and Unbunny released their first. It was also the year I graduated from gymnasiet, turned 19, and became loathed in the local parts of the business I’ve spent three years in school for. (Printing press operator!)

I had a summer job at Ljungby Grafiska and later in the autumn I jumped in whenever they needed to. One day I was really sick, high fever and all. No way I could drive in and operate machinery, I told them this and they seemed to accept this. It was also the last time I heard from them directly. In 1997 I bumped into one of the people who studied the same things but in a younger class. I got spat on and called a traitor. It was odd and I was as you might imagine very perplexed and asked why. Apparently, being sick is a crime against the community.

The joys of an industrial small town filled to the brim with pettiness… I swear, had this been in the US it would have been trailer park county.

(Beth Orton — Live as You Dream from the 1996 album Trailer Park.)

Beth Orton - Anywhere (via Astralwerks) Beth Orton dressed in red. Seriously? Seriously.

Beth Orton - Worms

While I don’t own this on vinyl — but I have looked, damnit, I’ve searched and dug until I had mud on my back — it is the perfect album for today. There’s rain in the air, possibly thunder too but not much more than a hint. Those kind of summer rain which cools you down but don’t remove the good weather. It’s never cold. never enough of a wind to make you shiver. The sun is there as a friend and not an adversary, the way it glitters through the rain drops and paint everything in a golden haze.

It’s what makes you long for walks and talks outdoors while smiling and just being you know, a bit happy. Just a tiny slice of happy, that’s all I ask.