After Smokey Robinson's 1965 classic, an artist and song
from 2019 that you may not have heard before.
With so much new music easily available today, in these days
of with Spotify, YouTube and MySpace
(OK, maybe not the last one), it is always difficult to find which new music is
the best and most essential. I always
try to listen to the end of year compilation CD samplers from Uncut and
Mojo magazines (I am their perfect
demographic). When I played them in December, this is the song that jumped out
for me, and I was curious about Aldous Harding.
I assumed they were an alternative US group, but it seems she is a New Zealand singer / songwriter (now
based in Cardiff). "The Barrel"
is a melodic, catchy, but also elaborate and mysterious.
There many things I love about this song - the strong female
voice, the sparing backing vocals, its
folk pop style, and especially the prominent piano part.
The curiosity is its meaning. Harding cautiously divulges little in
interviews, allowing the listener to make their own conclusions (many Bob Dylan songs share this
trait). So these are my conjectures, for what they are worth.
It seems to address
the feeling of being trapped in a failed relationship and trying to break free.
She knows the love has already gone ("time is up" "already
dead"). Things have changed from
the initial joy of infatuation (" I
rushed in to hold down your page / And now I sleep 'side words you do not read
with me"). Her commitment has waned, and she won't be going any further ("I'm not getting led along"
"I'm not getting wet"). There
is also the fear of adding a child into the mix ("When you have a child,
so begins the braiding").
Perhaps the barrel itself signifies a closed space or
confinement, but it is possible to escape ("I saw a hand arch out of the
barrel") and the "look at the peaches" shows the joy of freedom
? But I could be completely wrong about
everything. I also have little idea what
several lines mean, especially "Show the ferret to the egg".
It winds gracefully through five minute, spinning its charm,
but never giving up all its secrets. I
am sure I will enjoy playing it often in 2020, possibly gaining new insights,
but more likely to never fully understanding, and that is fine with me.
Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyZeJr5ppm8 (Warning - the video is a little strange and
should not detract from the great song.)
Hear Next - The Barrel comes from her third album "Designer",
and other tracks I have played are similarly tuneful and challenging.
