It speaks volumes of Jeremy Engel’s talent as a songwriter that he can take the subject of a relationship at its final, fractured and fragile breaking point, and turn that pain and confusion into a piece of art oozing with ecstatic beauty.
But that is the art of the musician, and especially the singer-songwriter, and few do it better than Engel. With very little instrumentation and only the deftest of sonic lines being drawn, there is plenty of space in the song for the music to work its simple, beguiling magic, plenty of space to frame each sonic hue. His chiming guitar leaps out at you, the drums beat a funereal march for breaking hearts, the bass does little more than mark time, and a mournful, keening violin wanders through, often acting as a counterpoint —a second voice.
And even with all this eloquence and elegance woven through the song, it is Engel’s unmistakable voice that holds you transfixed, itself dripping with emotion, imploring, soaring to breaking point or falling to a whisper, as he describes this once-union of souls drifting away from each other.
It is telling that Jeremy Engel cites the likes of Damian Rice and Glen Hansard as influences, both of whom also call this beautiful blend of finessed folk and poised pop home. Both can convey more with one lyrical line or musical passage than most can express in a whole album. It is fair to say that with songs the calibre of “Something Real,” Engel may have just written himself a ticket to the exclusive sonic climes that they call home.
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