Not quite a traditional country sound and perhaps not exactly what most would consider Americana, although I doubt that you could find two people to agree on what that is anyway, “Be Kind With My Heart” is nonetheless a gorgeously emotive ballad.
It’s a classic break-up song, or at least one reflecting that moment when you admit to yourself that the break-up is imminent; Staci Gruber’s voice, whilst being both poised and powerful, pulls at heartstrings and reminds us of those feelings that run through us when we find ourself on that same emptional cliff, staring into the void and contemplating that leap of faith. We know we have to move on but fear the emotional upheaval ahead of us.
Guitars ring out, steel pedal sounds drift through, and lush and lingering organ washes through the gaps, but it is a song built on space, a space that allows the words to sink in, builds atmospheres, and which echoes the hollowness we feel at such times deep in our soul.
It is a song that is both delicate and engaging, one that lyrically conjures so many memories for most of us, and that simple chorus refrain says so much in just those five words. It might be a personal song, but it’s one that we can all relate to.
