I have a page on this site called library. It is a curated collection of the media that matters most to me. The books I re-read, the films that fundamentally shifted my perspective, and the tracks that sound like home.
I decided early on that I wanted ten of each. It seemed like a good, round number to aim for. A limit that would force me to be picky. I thought it would be simple.
But sticking to that number has created two very different problems.
For books and films, the number is too high. I am currently sitting at nine books and only five films. I refuse to fill the slots just to hit a quota. A film has to earn its place, and apparently, I am a harsh critic. I am content to wait until the right ones appear.
Music is the opposite problem. Ten is nowhere near enough.
My list of “tracks that sound like home” is constantly overflowing. Ten songs is not a library. It is a lifeboat.
Trying to whittle down forty years of listening habits into ten slots feels less like curation and more like betrayal. How do you choose between the raw energy of Utah Saints and the narrative perfection of Squeeze? Do I keep Johnny Cash because it’s profound, or swap him for Belinda Carlisle because she’s joyful?
I don’t want to expand the list to twenty or fifty because that dilutes the meaning. The constraint is the point. But you have to prune a garden, or it just becomes a weed patch.
So I am instituting a new rule: One in, one out.
When a new song demands entry, an old favorite has to leave. This isn’t a demotion. It is just a necessary edit.
To ensure those leaving aren’t lost, I am making this post a living archive. Whenever I make a swap, I will come back and edit this post, adding the departing favourite to the list at the bottom. It serves as a tribute, ensuring nothing is ever truly forgotten.
The First Swap
The first addition to the list is Hey There Delilah by Plain White T’s. It wasn’t a profound moment of discovery. I was literally putting on a plain white t-shirt, made the connection to the band name, and remembered how much I love the track. It needs a spot.
To make room, I am removing New Shoes by Paolo Nutini. There was no spreadsheet or criteria for this removal. I just listened to my gut. It feels like the right one to move to the archive for now.
The Archive: Forgotten Favourites
- New Shoes – Paolo Nutini – Another Paisley son. It captures that specific feeling of waking up and deciding today is going to be alright. Simple acoustic joy. (Removed Nov 2025)
- Barcelona – Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé – A collision of worlds. Opera meets rock in a way that shouldn’t work but becomes transcendent. Pure, unapologetic grandeur. (Removed Dec 2025)
- Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode – Before they got dark, they were joyful. This is synth-pop at its most innocent. Impossible to listen to without tapping a foot. (Removed Dec 2025)
- Up On the Ride – Guillemots – A chaotic, joyful explosion of sound. It feels like a carnival ride in the dark. Impossible not to smile. (Removed Dec 2025)
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