At the heart of folk music are stories — those that aren’t necessarily about the artist’s personal experience, but a tale concocted much like a fiction writer would. Pete Gardiner’s ‘Sing From The Heart’ is as much a short story as it is a song. The powerfully expressive Irish singer narrates about a desperate man at the end of his rope. The character in question has had enough of the pandemic, of society’s constraints, and pretty much of life in general. In an act of defiance, he ultimately decides to stop conforming to the tired regulations and impositions around him to become an outlaw instead.
And throughout the tune, the backing instrumental sounds precisely like the soundtrack to an outlaw film. With each line that Pete narrates, you can imagine the character in question trudging down an old western film set with a gun slung on his back while mounted on a steady horse. It’s clear the soundscape that he’s made was with clear reason.
” I used to sing from the heart, but tonight I’m howling from the grave”. It almost sounds like a reinterpretation of some classic tale that’s already been written, and that’s just a testament to the brilliance of the lyrics on display her. ‘Sing From The Heart’ isn’t a ‘folksy’ song, but it is a damn perfect folk song. Compelling storytelling, imaginative soundscapes that lend themselves to visualisation, and a powerfully emotive vocal performance all combine to make this a great ‘outlaw’ tune.
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