I have struggled to express what i love so much about instrumentel music many times as I put pen to paper on its behalf, but I think Chris Murphy, the driving force of Seven Crows himself said put it best when he said “Instrumental music is challenging because I’m asking you to come on a journey with me, but I’m not telling you where you’re going.” And that is precisely it.
Lyrics, no matter how well crafted, take you by the hand and lead you to the writer’s intended conclusion; without them, a song merely looks you in the eye, asks you to trust it, and heads off into the unknown with you in tow.
“Amanda on the Bed” does this even more than usual. Previous singles have at least given us a slight reference point, such as a historical event or an environmental setting, but here the title feels highly personal and could really mean anything.
However, as Murphy’s seductive and sweeping violin lines begin to spiral outwards like sonic tendrils reaching for the sun, you can’t help but picture an image of beauty and grace captured in the female form. And more broadly, the music evokes ideas of memory and nostalgia, not just through the gossamer meditative ambience but through the way that the melody is at once a constant and yet constantly, almost imperceptibly, changing.
This is the final release before Powers of Observation, the project’s second album, arrives, and I suspect that there will be few discerning music fans who can listen to this, or any of these recent singles, and not have made at least a mental, if not actual, note to grab it when it drops.
Website
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
