We assume that people make music to entertain others. Whilst that is usually the main drive, music is also used to express something the artist needs to say, something they find that the medium is the channel to articulate what is on their mind. Of course, there is no reason why a song can tick both boxes, and that is certainly the case with “Cedar Road.”
This hazy slice of rootsy alt-pop was written to express the feelings that welled up inside Isaac Martinez when, as a younger man, he was missing his family. As such, it hits the perfect tone, both musically and lyrically, being reflective and full of pathos. When you listen to the music accompanied with the video, the succession of images of family and friends, people and places is enough to make us all nostalgic for our own younger days.
Martinez has always been an ephemeral character, his music moving across the musical landscape and in and out of public consciousness, but the album that this song calls home, 10 Country Songs (which in true fashion isn’t actually as the title describes), is the first time he has put music out under his name.
“Cedar Road” is warm and welcoming, full of honest emotion and well-articulated feelings. More than that, it is the sound of memories being recalled and the past being used as an anchor of safety and comfort in an uncertain and ever-changing future, something I’m sure we can all relate to.
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