The double sided single from Charlie Steady is soulful, poignant, and melancholic all at once. It feels deeply revealing, a vulnerable and emotional outpouring of a character’s journey. Although it’s not a personal reveal, or anything that’s innate to Steady himself, that doesn’t cut away from the emotional weight and substance of the record. Once Upon a Time I Fell in Love/Out of Control Pathos tells the story of Magpie, the album’s main character, as they journey to become a musical star in the Big City; the place where all dreams of fame come true.
It opens with a meditative and introspective track about the nature of love and its consequences on our professional pursuits and desires. The piano driven ballad takes you down an internal dialogue about what love means, whether its a worthwhile pursuit, and where it will take you at the end of the day. The side B song, “Out of Control Pathos” is a much more cheery and upbeat track that’s about finally making it in the city of dreams. Revel in the joy of it all.