My team of three friends had just lost our pickup basketball game at a local park. We collapse onto the bench, breathless, sweat soaking through our shirts,  while our six other friends get ready for their 3-on-3; the winner would be our next opponent. Whatever song was playing through my friend’s bluetooth JBL speaker starts to fade out as the song ends. Then,

The 4 beat stick click count-in. 

Instinctively, the drummer in me hits the downbeat with the heel of my right foot, and continues tapping the downbeats, keeping time. Suddenly, I’m tapping the upbeats. Confused, I shake my head, as if to rouse the musician in me that’s been distracted by basketball. I find the next downbeat and I’m keeping time again. Wait, no, now it’s upbeats. 

Has it really been that long? They say if you don’t use it, you lose it — did I lose it? 

I tear my eyes away from the game, turning to this little black box, hoping that it would console my existential crisis of losing all my musical training – I listen. Not only with my ears, but with my mind. No, I haven’t lost it; it’s an odd time signature. 

“That’s game!” someone yells. My friend, who has played with me as my drummer, sits on the floor next to me, panting. I hand him his water bottle and simply say, “Listen.” We spend the next 15 minutes counting the beats out loud to find the time signature. 

Can you rouse your inner musician and find the time signature? I’ll put the answer at the bottom

Musical Magic

Unfortunate Timing

The time signature keeps this track in anticipation, as if it’s always waiting for something that’s missing. This underscores the lyrics, letters between a mother and a somehow-separated child, the dear orphan. 

Lyrical Harmony

While each verse is a letter, the chorus plays out like a dialogue, a call and response. One voice echoes the other within the space of each line. However, in the final line, “The distance that’s between us / is only in our head”, the two vocal lines come together in a harmony, effectually closing that “distance”. 

Lovely Lyricism

Forgiveness is ideal, but in some cases, may not be necessary. I don’t think forgiveness should ever be expected, but accepted with gratitude, if it is given. I’m still learning to be content with non-resolution. “If you’re lonely, forgive me” says the mother. While forgiveness is never found, healing is: “Oh mother, you did it for me / I’m hurting, but I’m healing / You hurt me, but I’m healing”. 

Lyrics:

Dear orphan, I’m sorry

Dear lonely, you’re lovely

Dear lovely, I did it for you

If you’re lonely, forgive me

If you write me another letter

I’ll read it on my bed

Cause the distance that’s between us

Is only in our heads

I’ll write you another letter

You’ll read it on your bed

Cause the distance that’s between us

Is only in our heads

Dear stranger, I’m speechless

Dear danger, protect me

Oh, mother you did it for me

I’m hurting, but I’m healing

You hurt me, but I’m healing

Oh my love, release me

Let me go

Oh my love, release me

From the grips of this hold

Suggested listening:

The whole Musings record is well-arranged. Each next song feels like it should be the next song. Little Image clearly has a high level of understanding of music theory and technical skill, but they restrain it and expose it tastefully throughout all of the tracks. So, as always, listening through the whole thing is ideal. But if you only have time for a couple, here are two favorites from the record:

• Prin – my favorite kind of chord used to be the Major 7 chord. This song made me change my favorite to the Major 9. 

• Fly A Kite – a reimagining of the Mary Poppins tune. It’s spectacular. 

Trick question: there are three different meters in the song. The verses are in 13/8, the chorus is in 12/8, and the instrumentals between the chorus and verse are common time 4/4. WILD.

This song was my beginning to an obsessive fandom of Emawk. When the song came on, I was mid-squat, hitting leg day at the gym, watching my reflection in the mirror to ensure proper form, but really to prevent myself from making stupid faces while pushing through the movement. I was initially drawn in by the whole feel of the sound: a lo-fi, r&b kind of vibe with raspy, almost sleepy sounding vocals (though the vocals were controlled, and the subtle flashes of vibrato betrayed the “lazy” facade for the true, trained and practiced voice). 

Finishing the rep, an appreciative “yooo” escaped, feeling the groove and allowing the kick drum to lead my next squat. And then he sang “Yes I cut my existential dreads off”, and, in the mirror, I watched my own eyes dilate, eyebrows raise, and chest rise as I inhaled before letting out another, louder, involuntary “YOOOOOO”. I racked my weights and restarted the song to get a good listen. 

His musicianship drew me in. His lyricism sealed my soul. 

Musical Magic

Emotional Instrumentation 

As the title indicates, this is about coming to terms. The first verse lyrically displays frustration, if not anger. These words are driven by a deep, low synth along with the kick drum that sounds more like a foot stomping or a fist slamming on a table. 

Yet, between each verse, there sits an instrumental absent of the deep synth, led by a rhodes keyboard, a relief from the hard downbeats to a flowing, legato movement, like a moment of reflection and clarity. This first “moment” proves effective, as the next verse has a change in tone lyrically, but also introduces a new, not-so-angry instrument: an acoustic guitar. 

In the next verse, he begins to understand the other side of the story, accepting some of the blame, and even finishing the verse with an apology: “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you couldn’t say the truth / tell me how you feel now.”  And then, another moment of reflection and clarity, with another peaceful instrument added: the piano. 

Finally, as the song closes, the “angry” instruments begin to fade away, and we’re left with the acoustic guitar, a light synth line, and ambient vocals. Did he finally come to terms? Interestingly, the chord progression never finds its way back to the tonic (root note/chord, first scale degree). It never musically resolves. 

Lovely Lyricism 

Emawk’s wordplay never ceases to captivate me. His ability to take words with double meanings and use both (“existential dreads”), and his ability to take a word and evolve it into another word (“sorry that I picked up the PAIN and PAINted my way back into your picture”) is something I covet. 

Like a poet, he brings to life simple statements like “I watched you cry” and turns it into “You pulled me to the corners of your eyes and I found your tears hiding”.

Young The Giant

This self-titled album dropped during my first year of college in San Luis Obispo. These melodies, for me, hold within them the simultaneous excitement and terror of moving from a small suburban town to a coastal college community. They have the taste of saltwater in the air and the warmth of the sun on my skin as I deliver pizzas with the windows down and my sunglasses on. 

The entire record has the beachy, coastal feel to it, exploring different sides of what the beach “feels” like (the track Islands makes me think of the beach at night, underwater). There isn’t a single track on this record that I would deem less than excellent, and I would highly recommend listening to it in its entirety. 

Strings, however, stands apart. I specifically remember listening to this song for the first time on my first 4 hour drive to SLO. It created this feeling of fullness and warmth, right beneath my ribcage, almost as an antithesis to the pit of emptiness that often accompanies bouts of depression, in the same spot. 

It was my first hearing of the song, but it had the same effect as settling into “your spot” on the couch, or sipping tea out of a familiar, story-backed mug. It’s like the idea of shalom, which is more than just peace, but more like “the way things should be”. 

Musical Magic

“In the Pocket”

If your foot isn’t tapping, or head bobbing, or shoulders shimmying, or SOMETHING, you don’t have a soul that music can touch. The groove is so strong, and it comes from the bass and the kick drum being “in the pocket”. They hit the notes strong and at the right time, but not so “perfect” that it’s robotic. It’s almost like the “right time” is just a tiny bit late (like a wizard). 

Bubbles or Sunlight? 

There’s a light guitar line, heavy laden with delay effects that pans across the soundscape from one ear to the other. Depending on how you listen, it can create audible bubbles from underwater, or glistening sunlight. Either way, both contribute to the beach feel. I’m curious: which one did you hear? 

Lovely lyricism 

I love when artists make the listener think, “why is that the title?” The word “strings” never appears in the lyrics. The two lovers are engaged in a love that’s temporary, it’s “lost in the summer” and “burning up”. Yet, at least one of them, has STRINGS attached, and nothing can break them. The tide, the flames, and even the liar’s words roll off her body. I think the line “We move in knots” is incredibly clever, depicting both the speed of ships (measured in knots) and the complications of love, like strings getting caught and tied up in knots.

As a bonus, the very last track on this record is a reprise of the song, like the strings have stayed attached through the whole album. The reprise also features musical strings! Give it a listen.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxyg2EHy9So&ab_channel=JakeWells-Topic

Jake Wells has an interesting approach in his songwriting. In many of his songs, he writes through an experience, rather than about an experience. Roll Like Thunder is one of those songs. Somehow, through the music, you can almost see the thunderstorm through a window or underneath an overhang, watching the drops of rain cascade to the ground. It would almost feel natural to hear the sound of raindrops over the music. Though the lyrics are a bit vague, you feel this song more than hear it. 

Musical Highlight: Rolling Vocals

During a thunderstorm, the constant drumming of rhythmic raindrops will be interrupted by a powerful, sudden roll of a thunderclap, echoing into the night. This effect is mimicked by the vocals in the song. The song begins with a simple, rhythmic strumming pattern on the acoustic guitar. The vocals don’t ease their way in, but upon their first entrance, they come thundering through in a three-part harmony. The added reverb deepens the echoing thunder-esque feeling of the song. 

Favorite Lines

“Fall like the rain down, down, down…”

The melody of this line starts at a higher pitch, and descends to a lower pitch, emphasizing the lyrics of falling down, down, down, like the rain. Many of the melodic lines in this song descend, mimicking the falling of rain in a thunderstorm. 

“I’ve made mistakes”

This opening lyric in the second verse is repeated three times, all stacked on top of each other, with the timing just slightly offset. This creates a cascading feeling, similar to how rain does not fall in a uniform rhythm, but is often staggered in its cascading descent to the earth

Jake Wells possesses such a rich, soulful tone in his voice, and his music isn’t played nearly enough. His lyrics are filled with symbolism, and bring his listeners to feel his experience, rather than simply tell about them. Go listen to his stuff!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/5vBzlU22rKMzkdqjCdl1Mz?si=w9OR9DzrS1-yoaKRGs26gQ

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Dc8fJ75dM&ab_channel=MicahBournes-Topic

Micah Bournes is a spoken word poet turned social justice rapper. His lyricism combined with his distinct rhythm and cadence create poetry pleasing to the ear. Every Poem is one of his earlier spoken word pieces describing a conversation he had with a fellow poet. 

Lyrical Substitution: Love and God

The primary device in this piece is lyrical substitution. Bournes presents his friend’s dialogue poetically, 

“I’m convinced that every poem, and every song and every rhyme from the beginning of time until the apocalypse will be and has been about the same tiny word with gargantuan significance. Love.”

His friend goes on to expound upon this idea, that every piece of art is somehow connected to love. He does not conclude that every song is a love song nor that every poem is a love poem, but “rather its presence or absence in each artist’s life influences every word they write.”

The lyrical substitution occurs in Bournes’ response to his friend:

“‘My’ I said, ‘that’s quite a view, and if it be true, I conclude something huge. According to my theology, 1 John 4:8 states God is Love.”

He then proceeds to repeat the poem, word for word, replacing every instance of the word “love” with “God”. This effectively turns the poem on its head, conveying the message that every piece of art is really about something bigger than love — God. 

Surprisingly, every single line involving love, when replaced with God, makes perfect sense. 

Musical Highlight: Reverse

While the lyrics have the center stage in any poem, deeper listening reveals the music playing a crucial role in the message of the piece. When the lyrical substitution occurs, and the message of the poem is flipped, the music changes. It contains the eerie sounds of a sound being played backward. Because that’s exactly what is happening. 

In the same way that Bournes takes his friend’s argument and reverses it, word for word, replacing “love” with “God”, the music that was behind his friend’s argument is now being played in reverse. This emphasizes the deconstruction and reversal of the poem. 

Favorite Lines:

“…others tried It/Him, got disappointed by It/Him, only to convince themselves that It’s/He’s not real. Yet no matter how bitter they feel towards Love/God, it’s impossible to ignore Love/God.”

The truth of this line is interesting. Those who have been disappointed by love or God sometimes turn to hatred toward love or God. Hatred, however, does not equate to disbelief. To hate something, you must believe it exists, therefore “it’s impossible to ignore love/God”

“And so this war between Loveless/Godless poets and those who believe rages through the ages on book pages, stages, radio waves, and screens. Inexhaustibly pushing their perspectives on what/who Love/God is or isn’t, But in the end, Love/God doesn’t need a defense, It/He is who It/He is. Amen.”

This is a claim of objective truth. Whether or not someone believes in love or God makes no difference to the reality or existence of love or God. Quite a bold statement in today’s culture of “finding your truth” and “you do you”. 

Please check out Micah Bournes’ music! 

If this post helped you to listen deeply, please share it!

(album art from https://mremawk.bandcamp.com/track/someone)

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/5CHAoGaxx9MuniMj1xZ2CX?si=499VjU6GSY2PAxxPzmx5Ag

Youtube:

While his songs make excellent stand-alone pieces, Emawk crafts his records as a cohesive work. He’ll weave in the same themes (topics or phrases in the lyrics) and motifs (repeated musical patterns) throughout the different tracks, connecting them as one piece. So while this post focuses on the track someone, I highly suggest listening to the entire record For Ness to fully appreciate the work. 

I chose someone because it breaks Emawk’s usual musical style. Most of his songs have the lo-fi/R&B vibe, but Someone comes off as an acoustic singer/songwriter kind of song. Though the style is different, it lacks none of Emawk’s artistry or musicianship. 

Someone sits as the climax of the entire record. The record itself tells a story, and the tracks follow the progression of no one, everyone, someone, and somewhere. It begins with heartbreak and having no one, moves to considering everyone, and arrives at finding someone. 

At first glance, someone appears as your typical love song. But, let’s look at what makes this song different from all of the other love songs out there. 

Red Roses

The last line of every verse includes red roses. Red roses often symbolize love or passion, which may be Emawk’s intent here. The track begins with an observation of the negative effects of roses, with the lines,

“You ask your allergies why they’re such a bother” and “You keep scratching your eyes, and they’ll keep itching”.

He also mentions roses in the previous track, everyone, with the line, “Truth is real roses have thorns.”

With this imagery of allergies and thorns, Emawk paints a realistic view of love. Like a rose, however beautiful it may be, love can be bothersome, and even painful. Yet, despite these negative aspects, he sings the refrain, “Either way, I’m in love with your red roses”. 

From Roses to You

The use of red roses is beautiful, but symbolic. Abstract. Intangible. It’s as if Emawk distances himself, hiding behind red roses. He keeps the object of his love as the idea, concept, or thought of love. 

However, during the bridge, in almost a mumbling, under-his-breath tone, he repeats, “roses, roses, roses, yeah”. It’s like he’s questioning if he should still keep talking about roses. 

Finally, with newfound boldness, for the rest of the song, he sings, “I’ll always be in love with you”. No more abstract, distant, hiding behind roses. He’s not in love with an idea; he’s in love with a person. 

Notice also the shift in the verb tense:

In the first half of the songs, he sings, “I’m in love with your red roses.” I AM in love. Present tense. Happening currently. 

But after he gets rid of the roses, he sings, “I’ll always be in love with you.” Future tense. It isn’t love just for now, but an ongoing, never-ending love into the future.

Musical Highlight: Lyrical Harmony

The lyrics of the fifth verse are:

“It’s okay to look for truth even if you doubt it

It’s okay to look alone every once in a while

It’s okay to be alone with the truth for a while

Truth is I’m in love with your red roses”

Emawk creatively arranges the musical details to mirror the movement of the lyrics. The lyrics of the first line (looking for truth) and the second line (looking alone) contain similar structures, but the ideas seem independent. In the third line, he combines these two independent thoughts into the same line (being alone with the truth). 

This lyrical creativity is reflected in the music. The first two lines with independent thoughts are sung with singular, independent vocals. But on the third line, he adds more vocals, creating a three part harmony. This emphasizes the harmony within the lyrics as well. 

Favorite Lines

Artists have a particular burden to not only say something, but to say something beautifully. I’m always fascinated with how artists can communicate simple messages through creative and beautiful language. Here are a few of those instances:

“Found your frame of reference deep in your siesta habit.”

Excessive sleep often accompanies depression, and depression often accompanies heartbreak. Considering the previous verse regarding allergies and itching eyes (as a result of the red roses, or love), and the previous line, “You tried to dream away everything that happened”, you can imagine him sympathizing with the pain. Yet, instead of simply calling it a depressive episode affecting the entire mindset, he sings, “found your frame of reference deep in your siesta habit.”

“It’s okay to let them know they made you wonder wilder.”

Another common result of heartbreak is overthinking and reflection, often to irrational thoughts. Emawk uses alliteration (the repetition of the same letter or sound) in “wonder wilder” and even creates a catchy rhythm with the syllables to communicate this idea of overthinking. The word “wilder” invokes images of craziness or lunacy, which is often what heartbreak feels like. 

Conclusion

Now that you’ve read some of these observations, take another listen to the song! Hopefully you’ll hear some of these things, and you’ll appreciate this beauty all the more. If you haven’t heard of him, please take a listen to Emawk’s music. He’s yet to release a song I haven’t fallen in love with. 
If this post helped you to listen deeply, feel free to share it! Look out for another post next Friday.