"The Heavy Rain," from Paul South's impressive album "Monsters in Love," is music columnist Cesareo Garasa's song of the year, with the album's opener, "Torches and Pitchforks," coming in a close second.

There's a temptation, when writing these year-end recaps, to try to paint the year-that-was in such a way that it vividly exceeds the scope of the year prior. That we are also gearing up for something bigger into the next year.

For what it's worth, I can't really do that.