Everyone in America is feeling some stress right now. While keeping up on national and local news is important to staying healthy and safe, I found I needed some time away from all my devices to help me decompress and gain perspective.

Over the past few days, I have been setting aside extra time in front of my audio system to help me put the day in the rearview mirror and prepare for tomorrow. I can tell you without reservation that adding a little more music into my life has been a blessing. If ever there was a time when we could all use more music in our lives, it's right now. It has helped me relax before going to bed, assuring a better night's sleep. And let me tell you, it works.

For the time being, I'm going to write a small daily column to let you know what I've been playing, how it sounds, and the effects these LPs have on my sense of well-being. While I can't guarantee they will all be up your alley, I hope to encourage your own listening. If the mood strikes, feel free to share your own listening experiences with all of us.

First up: Rachael & Vilray
This album is wonderful. It's like taking a ride in a time machine, and registers the same effect on me as the second Madeleine Peyroux album, Careless Love. The Rachael in Rachael & Vilray is Rachael Price, the front woman of the band Lake Street Dive. Her sultry voice is the perfect foil for songwriter Vilray's guitar playing and vocals. It seems amazing that musicians in their 30s would want to write and perform songs that sound like they were recorded in the 1930s. They laid their debut down exactly a year ago in March 2019. The recording sounds true and present, placing the musicians and singers in my listening room, floating in space between the speakers. While the entire LP transported me to a simpler time, I want to call out the duet, "Do Friends Fall in Love?" As it played, I sat transfixed, listening to these close friends as if experiencing a private concert in my home. This made me smile, so thank you, Rachael & Vilray.

The record was pressed in the Netherlands (I assume at Record Industry). The pressing is surprisingly good, with very quiet surfaces with a couple of ticks I could make out in one song on side two. More than acceptable for a newly pressed album.

Next on the 'table: Van Morrison Poetic Champions Compose
This LP is an old friend. When I was in college, I think I went to sleep to this magical album every night for an entire semester. The 1987 set remains one of Van's most wonderful recordings—and one I've found through the years that many listeners do not really know. If you are one of these people, discover it today. It will pay dividends. I bet there are few tunes here you will recognize, not the least of which is "Someone Like You." It seems to show up in so many films; it's an absolutely beautiful love song.

The recording is fantastic despite being a product of the early 80s. All instruments are given room to breathe in the mix, and Van feels injected with a major dose of soul. When he sings, you feel it. Especially nice is the roundness of the bass; check out "I Forgot That Love Existed" as an example.

My pressing is an original Mercury pressing on PolyGram, cut at Masterdisk in 1987. My copy shows some signs of wear, with a few ticks and pops from decades of play. But it's pretty easy to find mint copies of this gem. It delivers great sonics and is an LP everyone should own. After I lifted the needle from the grooves, it was time to fall into a deep, relaxing sleep.