Carefully walking the line between chaos and calm, leading with a distant, seemingly water-soaked, reverb-drench piano part, SMAIBLUE quickly creates an ambiance that feels all at once organic and unreal.
There’s an in-the-room sense of clarity to the recording, particularly when the voice comes into play – a select few lyrics are delivered by means of an up close and personal, almost whispered vocal melody. Elsewhere though, that piano sets a level of disconnect – between the two elements, between the listener and the concept. It appears to be drifting away from you as the track progresses. The pace changes, and this gives off a certain aura of realness, of live-performance. During the latter half half things really break down into the mellow and quiet.
The simplicity of the composition can either seem heavily juxtaposed with, or completely at one with, the very idea of infinity. The leading voice emerges with genuine intimacy, as if presenting these words purely for you. Meanwhile the fingers hit the keys with varying levels of energy and passion, riding the wave of experience, navigating through the various stages of forever.
All of this at once sounds beautiful, decidedly authentic and deeply calming to have rain down around you. At the same time, the title and the eight lines presented lyrically provoke a more intentional set of thoughts – you ponder these ideas, the song in relation to them, the artist’s state of mind and, subsequently, your own; the point, the world, your role within it.
For all of this to come from a simple song is quite magical. What’s interesting too though, is that with each new revisit, you look for familiarity – recognisable moments, a hook, something to cling to. The piano and the very sound of the voice provide that, but structurally somehow each new run-through feels like a new page in the story; a strange offering of something slightly different, every time. It’s a clever and rare trait that really helps underline the strength of a thoughtfully captured moment of purpose in art. Lovely – gorgeously well-expressed.
∞ is a single from the upcoming LP Avenue of a Dying Place.
