Pam Ross – Falling Off The Merry Go Round (2023)
From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Houston, Texas, then North Carolina, Pam Ross has lived in several US states. Yet, while she makes her home in North Carolina, Ross found “Pam Music” in Nashville – the heart of country music. An award-winning artist performing at renowned venues and BMI showcases, a person initially described as an upcoming artist is officially established as an inspiration to new musicians.
With the plan to release one single every five weeks, Ross enters April 2023 with the song ‘Falling Off The Merry Go Round’. Inspired by life, this songstress explores themes like love affairs, relationships and hardships with emotional intensity. Following ‘Two Shots of Tequila’ and ‘No One Around’, Ross examines the provocative issue of school shootings in her latest single.
When I think of school shootings, my mind immediately goes to one of the most renowned cases – Columbine. The thing is, while that sticks out it is far from the only shooting in the USA. Since Columbine, according to The Washington Post, 277 shootings have occurred with over 300,000 children experiencing gun violence – that’s about 21,000 children per year since 1999. Tragic and terrifying, school shootings are something many acknowledge but then we move on to the next piece of news. Ross stands up and asks why.
“The plague of school shootings is an evil that we can’t seem to stop let alone curtail. Everyone is busy politicising the issue and pointing fingers instead of reaching across the aisle to develop solutions…– Pam Ross on ‘Falling Off The Merry Go Round’
Adopting a rock-inspired tone, ‘Falling Off The Merry Go Round’ is a well-textured single drawing together the beauty of the instrumentation in an emotional tragedy. Drums, guitars, an interspersed piano and Ross’ gruff vocals give life to the complexity of school shootings. In my opinion, the drums and piano act as a steadiness with a shot of wistful confusion. But it is the electric guitar held within a sonic bubble that brings everything to the fore. Sophisticated and skilful, it is perfect; however, it captures a sense of confusion, chaos and emotional frustration at the core of those shootings. One aspect that truly fascinates me is how the melody can be so beautiful in its tragedy but also desperate with its vulnerable rawness.
For more from Pam Ross, check out her official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
