Music of the Day, 25 January 2025

why am i anywhere?

I learned yesterday that Jethro Tull has a new album coming out in early March via its title track coming up in YouTube’s recommendations. You know this flautist couldn’t resist it!

So why didn’t I write about “Curious Ruminant” yesterday? If you’ve listened to the song, you likely have a good guess: not all the lyrics are clear; and I dislike being inaccurate in this space. But after several spins this morning, I have developed some opinions that are unlikely to change after reading all the lyrics.

I adore the word play both in the album title and throughout this song… not least because I’ve been a curious ruminant for as long as I can remember. It’s an allusion-rich retrospective, some of which took a bit of deciphering¹ and some of which I’ll likely never get. That’s okay with me. Anderson’s voice is pleasant and seems restrained, perhaps due to his diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease several years ago. I’ve not listened to any of his more recent works, so I have no context for comparison.

The video is engaging too, and distracted me from the lyrics over my first few repetitions of “Curious Ruminant.” Even now, I have to choose between watching the video and listening to the song, as trying to enjoy both simultaneously isn’t working.

The music is superb. Tull’s current lineup is: Ian Anderson (flute, vocals, acoustic and electric guitar); Jack Clark on guitar; David Goodier on bass; Scott Hammond on drums; and John O’Hara on keyboards and vocals. The piano intro nicely sets the mood, and Anderson’s flute in its mid register continues it. When the beat drops and other instruments enter, there’s a hint of urgency in the rhythm that’s a nice counterpoint to Anderson’s “wondering aloud” vocals. The movement of motifs among the instruments is very well done.

Aspects of the music are harder and heavier rock—especially Clark’s guitar work—which are deftly balanced with the lightness of the flute and Anderson’s vocals. If this is emblematic of Jethro Tull’s recent work, I’ve missed out on a lot. I’m looking forward to hearing more tracks from Curious Ruminant, but in the meantime, there’s plenty for me to explore.

1. I wasn’t sure that Anderson was referencing Karl Jung in the line “orbiting construct of Jung and Freud” until I realized he was pronouncing the surname as “young”