Caught in the middle.

You'll never touch these things that I hold. The skin of my emotions lies beneath my own.

How is it that a song has the ability to conjure up such emotion? I'm not the first person to state that. But how about those moments where everything is perfect. For those two hours time stands still. And you don't even realize it until five years later when you're meeting friends at a bar. And all of a sudden a melody strikes you out of nowhere. And now you're back. You're sitting there in the car late at night smoking cigarettes with your seat fully reclined. And you're staring up into the ice cold night sky through the sunroof. And life as you know it is perfect.

And it's great. But there's a time for everything. You're at a birthday and you are meant to be social. In fact, you're obligated to be social. It is somehow your duty to entertain the four people situated at your end of the table. And you love it. You're three espresso shots deep and it's 5 pm. And you've had a good day and you're in the zone. You are about to state your claim on some story that is both informative yet hilarious complete with hand gestures and facial expressions to match. And then Fiona Apple comes blaring out of the speakers. And you stop. And you look to your left. And your friend awaits with anticipation.

You're caught. And you don't care. Because something deep down inside you has triggered an important memory. And you tell your story. But you don't really tell YOUR story. You tell a story that has no relevance on your life. You want to tell YOUR story but you don't. So you excuse yourself. You grab your thoughts with a cigraette in your left hand. You sit there looking up at the very same sky you gazed at five years earlier. And you smile. You like how it's all turned out. You walk into the bar, sit down, and order another cranberry cocktail.

So is this personal? Not a chance. But you get the idea.

It would be a crime not to like this song.

This morning I had a fantastic breakfast at Latitude on Main Street. The coffee was hot and the cream was fresh. This is a pretty big deal considering the same was not true for my brunch yesterday. As I caught up with a friend of mine, I couldn't help but hum hum hum hum the tune of a song I heard the night before. For the next few hours it became my obsession. Strange how that happens. One minute you're going about your business - buying eggs or a jar of pickles and the next thing you know you are consumed by a song so powerful that all you really want to do is go home, put on some Roots sweatpants and hit repeat.

It all began last night at a karaoke bar in the West End; there really is no better way to spend a Friday night. At one point in the evening a young man with glasses and a navy blue t-shirt started singing a tune that I wasn't at all familiar with. I was sitting quite far away and was engaged in my own conversation. All of a sudden I heard this amazing verse and flute combination from the corner of the bar. Even my friend was mesmerized by this strange, yet powerful melody. Many will argue with me on this one, however I must admit that it is next to impossible for me to dislike Britney Spears' smash hit "criminal." Like all Britney Spears songs, the bridge is incredibly weak but in this song the verse and chorus make up for it.

Britney starts off with an understated verse that really sets the tone of the song; the flute playing in the background really ties it all together and the chorus prooves to be flawless. Don't get caught up with the lyrics as it is not this song's strength or priority. If you want to get down and dirty with some poetic verses, you're best to stick with Joan Baez or Cat Stevens. But if you're looking for some sort of unconventional adventure, play "criminal" on repeat and see where the evening takes you.