Some people I’ve met say they don’t listen to new music. Apparently, all music produced in the last 20-30 years is rubbish so they’ll stick with the classics.
If you can’t tell, this stance really bugs me. This lack of engagement in new music does not help artists to continue to create more and better music. And what people don’t realise is that they NEED to be open to new art because it feeds their minds. This only becomes more important as we get older to keep our minds working. I feel a bit sad for these short-sighted people. But then, I also believe we are on this earth to learn and grow and not everyone feels that way.
We all have our old favourites that we listen to for the nostalgia and comfort. But this post is about a song that came out this year. Yes, 2023! New music by Mr Churchill. You may recall our dear Kim from his 2014 song “Window to the Sky”, which was everywhere that year and now has 18M+ streams on Spotify alone.
This year’s Dawn Sounds is a solid album from the singer songwriter, his voice cutting clear through the pretty guitar and minimal arrangements. I love simplicity in music and this ticks the box. The track “Fighter” which I especially love is in the middle of the album. It starts with an acoustic guitar, followed closely by a shaker and Kim singing:
I don’t lie down, I don’t leave
I have learnt from my mistakes,
And I know neither one will suffer me
I’m not running, running home
I’m a river that’s been flowing to the ocean all along
Kim Churchill – Fighter
The lyrics have this timeless feeling – about a quiet type of strength that sits under the surface. It doesn’t need to ‘scream strength’, it just waits to be recognised by those who can see it.
The second half of the verse has this slightly crunchy bass, which provides texture and fits with the clanging percussion that appears later.
I love how the guitar in the verse ramps up through the whole song. It starts out quiet and by the time we reach the chorus, it’s trundling along. The chorus has some warm electric piano and tambourine, along with a basic drum beat. The backing vocals are so well mixed they just add to the soundscape.
The outro is also surprising, because it could be used as a middle 8 or break before the chorus comes back in. The words ‘All of you is courage, that I don’t need’ fade out and reinforces the message of the song. Some may find it frustrating to leave it that way but it just makes me love the song more, because it’s not trying to over deliver.
Probably my favourite lyric which I think anyone who has suffered with any kind of self esteem issue can take to heart:
I’m a flower on a path
And you might not even see me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not enough
Kim Churchill – Fighter
Another interesting inclusion is the sound of someone in the background shouting something unintelligable just before the second half of the second verse. It catches your ear but, it’s so short you almost have to check you heard it. I remember listening to a webinar with Oscar Dawson from Holy Holy who said the first verse of ‘How You Been’ had some vocal parts from a vocal warmup that got repuporsed for texture. I had never really thought of the voice as an instrument in that way and part of me longs to experiment which those sounds to see if I could find something worth mixing in.
If you’re keen to listen to something new, give Dawn Sounds a crack. It will break you in gently to new music in 2023.