A new day yesterday

When you stand at the cusp of an old and new day - never mind an old and new year - Jethro Tull's 'A New Day Yesterday' erupts. This blues-rock classic, infused with English folk music, from the band's 1969 album, Stand Up, is elevated by frontman-flautist Ian Anderson's unmistakable flair.

The track opens with a heavy, grinding riff that immediately asserts its authority. The guitar work is muscular yet fluid, channelling grit of the earth while pushing into hardness of rocks. Clive Bunker's drumming drives the track with relentless energy, giving it a pulse that's primal and precise. Anderson's vocals - half-growl and half-incantation - summon something larger than melody and words.

What makes the track beautiful is its balance of aggression and atmosphere. The interplay between guitar and flute adds a haunting, almost mystical texture that sets Jethro Tull apart from their contemporaries. 'Oh, I want to see you soon/ But I wonder how./ It was a new day yesterday/ But it's an old day now' - the words, with their paradoxical force, are Heathcliffian in their patient urgency.


As you watch the new day of the new year raise its curtains, let this song be the soundtrack.