The pandemic, the associated lockdowns, and all the anguish that resulted from them caused a lot of people to pause for thought, take stock of their lives, and reflect on what the post-pandemic world might mean for them. And if there are any silver linings to be found in it all, and I get the feeling that Michael Beck is the sort of person who is always looking for one, it lies in the fact that having been afforded the time to consider what kind of future we might have on the other side of these events, many of us put such time to good use. Michael Beck certainly did.
Given those moments to think things through, Michael’s response was to realize that the best way to usher in the better times that he envisaged for his children, his family, and friends, and for everyone willing to listen, is to be the inspiration, the guiding light, and the example of how to live our lives if we are going to usher in such a more enlightened approach to life.
“Sovereignty” is his mantra and mission statement, a musical guide and mentorship. And so, over delicate ebbs and flows of folk guitar, Chandra Lacombe’s exotic kalimba cascades, Renato Anesi drifting guitar work and violins that soar and sweep, Michael is, appropriate for a song about guidance and family, joined by his daughter on vocals for a song which seems to float towards the listener, to be absorbed by the senses through some form of osmosis, rather than be delivered in the usual sense.
There is also an honesty and openness to the song. Through it, you perhaps learn more about the person behind it than you thought possible: his hopes and dreams, his attitudes and approach, his worldview and wishes.
As a taste of the debut album, Surrender, which is planned for next year, “Sovereignty” not only gives you a sense of what Michael Beck is all about musically but also signals that a great album is on the horizon.
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