By Sindhu Vishwam
Not sure if you are looking for love, but Bristol based Firewood Island’s new release definitely has the answers. This acapella-acoustic half and half is not everybody’s cup of coffee for sure. But after just one listen, you will be immersed in the distinctive vocals and instrumentation that will shroud your initial judgment for good.
The song starts from the chorus. Make no mistake, it is perfectly structured in every way. It diverts attention to one critical aspect of production. More often than not, a composition fails because of a disconnect between the quality of vocals and the tones of instruments. Firewood Island wins this challenge easily. The track has a simple melody with not a lot of variations. But it doesn’t become boring, because of how well they have understood their vocal strengths.
The instrumentation is an amalgamation of clean tones, with crisp vocal harmonies. The duo call the genre “Mountain Pop.” The highlight of the track are the nonsense syllables that keep the track energised. Grand horns, larger-than-life drums that are mixed to perfection all come together. As the track progresses, layers of lush instrumentation, including cascading vocal harmonies, elevate the musical landscape to new heights.
Firewood Island has created infectious melodies and captivating hooks throughout the track. The chorus, in particular, is a true ear worm. It’s momentous and fading. The track is quite heavy in terms of instrumentation but the focus never shifts from the line Looking for Love and that’s what makes it so memorable.
The harmonies in Looking for Love are nothing short of mesmerizing. The delicate yet powerful vocals of Firewood Island blend seamlessly, creating an ethereal aura that envelops the listener. The haunting beauty of the harmonies enhances the lyrics that talks about self-love, evoking a sense of yearning that resonates deep within the soul.The lyrics effortlessly fuse with the melody, infusing each word with raw emotion and vulnerability.
Firewood Island has come up with two versions of the song. The band version being the more minimal stripped down version of the track, is more in tune with the lyrics than the enormous instrumentation we listen to in the main track. Their music outside of the Looking for Love, is experimental in terms of instrumentation, with the song writing style staying constant. This keeps their music interesting like a bowl of mixed flavour sundae. Something for everybody!
Listen to Looking for Love and similar tracks on Greaserelease's indie folk and acoustic music 2023 playlist on Spotify!