r.mason – I Live Here Now (2023)
Since she learned to carry a tune at age 4, singer-songwriter Rebecca Barritt has been writing songs, learning to play various instruments, and weaving complex emotions into moving melodies. Add the flair of Jonathan Blokmanis (guitar), Aaron Blair (bass) and Miles Fuller (drums), and r.mason “filter soulful songwriting through explorative moods to cook up a project textured with paradox…” Following their well-received debut EP, rains too loud for t.v., r.mason began 2023 with the eclectic ‘L.A. Wannabe (Dance Remix)’ and heartfelt ballad ‘European Swimsuit’. The latest addition to their discography is the single ‘I Live Here Now’.
Drawing together the obscurity and intimacy of Norah Jones with the sincerity of Lana Del Rey and poetic profoundness of Bob Dylan, ‘I Live Here Now’ is a thought-provoking tender pop ballad. Yet, just as the single has a smooth mellifluous nature, a sliver of hard-hitting rock pushes through as the song progresses.
Opening with the classical precision of Barritt’s piano, an acoustic mist descends with charming smiles. Fuller’s drums lie beneath with a steady beating meeting Blair’s bass with tender warmth. As you enter the soothing harmonies, Blokmanis blasts through with a crescendo of powerful guitar riffs and catchy hooks. Interestingly, just as we accept the prominence of the heady guitar, an engulfing sweep of sound binds everything in a harmonic whole petering off with simplistic piano. A delicate rollercoaster, ‘I Live Here Now’ has its surprises but also a rhythmic elegance.
One aspect I find interesting about ‘I Live Here Now’ is how it encapsulates the theme of acceptance. The song looks at life – it’s challenges, struggles, joys and disappointments with a reflective tone. Barritt explains:
“…not much angers me more than when people point fingers or scoff at how others find their own type of peace or comfort or ecstasy. ‘We are all invited to the guillotine because justice is priority even if its false, but I live here now’. We are here for our entire lives. This song is about accepting that; accepting ourselves along the way, and others as we all sit here and simply live with ourselves.”
Find out more about r.mason on their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
