A LETTERED SOUL: REFLECTIONS ON LITERATURE, CINEMA AND CULTURE .

THE MELODY THAT TRAVELS BEYOND ISLES YONDER

    
It's not the first time I  concede that certain contingencies happen to us at just the right nick of time, at the most formidable moments when our eyes and ears knit our minds in unison and we gladly receive every positive influence that comes to us. Now I am a firm believer in the fact that our pursuits towards coming to that point is laced with the true spirit of discovery and when it is left to wander constructively with regards to music, our free will collects experiences galore.  You know that you have not stumbled upon that vista by default but your confidence in reaching out to those artists is all you have to make it a robust two way exchange. The artist gains by way of extending his hurrah to you and you respond with tenacity to the words, images, instrumentation and really the whole package; memory defines every tune as one of our own then, in the manner it is co-opted to our sensibilities and moods. A song is birthed right there in the sensitive innards of your tuneful ear( a phrase I coined for new parts of  my essay collection prior to this one) and the validation is wholesome. It humbles you and the artist gains traction morally and of course creatively, which is exactly how it should be. Identification is the idea here and the destined outcome, no matter how cheerful or melancholic the tune. Once that is achieved, a better breakthrough cannot be sought.

           **********************

Thanks to that little antenna in my head that emits novel signals to me, I found whispers of love lorn simplicity and hope  from the renowned  Irish band KODALINE in the summer of innate discovery . If my memory serves me right it was early last year. Yes, that's right. You know what, it was quite literally like a whiff of fresh air. The pure gust of a cool wind that calms and settles things down , unburdening us and making the art of rejuvenation imminent.   Pure, natural and down to earth, not unlike the beautiful country the ensemble hails from. Each member of KODALINE has made it possible.

  
            

HIGH HOPES, their global hit , made me a fan the very first time I heard it  . It is a gorgeously melodious tune, mellow, sombre and romantic to a fault, so rare in its simplicity you know it's not coming from a place of top 100 buntings and I am being cent percent sincere here instead of just bandying about those impressively clichéd adjectives . The song earns them. Past and present collide and the lyrics are lilting too, from the opening lines, " broken bottles in a hotel lobby" to the most precious study of the uncertainties that come with the territory in " naive, I was just staring at the barrel of a gun. "
No showy theatrics, just an aura of sukoon ( calm) and when the guitar finally moves from its acoustic perch to more active participation in a memorable solo turn  before  the last chorus, the bridge to mending two distinct focal points between remembering and realization is fully executed. I can listen to this solo guitar part in itself and kudos to the vocals by Steve Garrigan, Mark Prendergast on lead guitars, Vincent May on drums and Jason Boland on bass guitar( previous member Connor Linnane is recalled too here though I am not sure if his credits grace this particular  song).
  When Steve hits the falsetto / yodel on High..... this song registers itself as an essential part of your journey of discovery. The music video toplining Liam Cunningham ( the iconic Winterfell loyalist Davos Seaworth of Game of Thrones ) and Niamh Large ( who bore a striking resemblance to  Carice Van Houten who portrays Melisandre on the show and I thought this was a casting coup) testifies to the ideal of love undertaken on sometimes challenging  ends  but ultimate in its purity. It's unforgettable for me on all fronts. A coherent musical piece from start to finish.

            *******************

                    

            

ALL I WANT is another soft ballad that is an acoustic delight and Steve's falsetto is even more endearing here on this heart tugging narrative of finding recognition in the world, even if from a single soul out there. But what seals its impact for me are the two music videos centering on a young man with  facial deformity who falls for a lady amidst the silly banters accorded to his unconventional appearance and looks for a breakthrough and his companionship with his beautiful Shih Tzu Terrier Digby .
However, it's the second video that arrested me and made me choke up as the man sets out to find a lost Digby and when the moment of reunion comes, it's beautifully captured in slow motion with the Irish countryside lending dignity to the event. Our best connections with God are through  manifestations in non human form and Digby lost and found is the star of the show here. I would be heartbroken to even envision losing this precious friend. The joint combination of this dual video finds all three- Digby, the man and the woman - together and the passage to that point is suffused with charm. It wasn't an easy journey but that struggle makes it stand out.
ALL I WANT has an ache, a sincere trilling score to it and as in HIGH HOPES, the guitar works its magic in the final bridge section before the vocal fade out. You feel the twinge, the pain, the hope and the good natured effusions of the band. Also, the song has appeared on the soundtrack of Grey's Anatomy and The Fault in Our Stars, milestones both, among many others.
Both these songs are from its 2013 album IN A PERFECT WORLD and though it has a prolific output, these two are winners in all respects. Few songs mix uncertainty with dauntless hope and like the 'o-o-o, oh oh' chorus at the end of All I Want, the standard has been set here by all members of Kodaline. You will etch both in your hearts, like I did.

I leave you with another one of their lilting songs LOVE WILL SET YOU FREE.

       

* The bottom line is this :  listening to Kodaline is akin to having a first crush and in moments, the permanence of these melodies waft in the mild provenance of its craft and are long lasting odes to beauty in simplicity that love of any kind courts. They emphasise a depth in place of vague, transient courtships with passing second glances at the heart of  'popular' music nowadays . I am hooked. Their sound is youthful and contemporary as also  aflush with innocence.

        ...............................................