Jess Rose Clancy – Mulberry Tree (2020)
Interdisciplinary artist Jess Rose Clancy combines a love of indie-pop with strong theatrical elements. When she is not at the piano or in the studio, she moonlights as an opera singer, theatre writer and cabaret performer. Her debut single ‘Mulberry Tree’ is imbued with dramatic atmospheres and extended metaphor.
The song is essentially about relationships ending and starting again. She was inspired to write the song after the gardener literally cut down her dad’s mulberry tree. Through the single, she works through her anger, acceptance and hope while suggesting that empty spaces are the best place for growth.
‘Mulberry Tree’ has a very theatrical start that is reminiscent of old silent movies. The melody of the track continues this tone, but rises and falls with a dramatic flair you don’t often hear. The expansive and all-encompassing feeling of the melody is reigned in at times by Clancy’s vocal performance. However, the interesting thing is that there are moments when it is the melody that anchors her beautifully powerful and operatic voice.
The lyrics of the track use metaphor as the vehicle for the message. While it might seem that the song is actually about the mulberry tree, you can hear the underlying messages lurking in the lyrics. The metaphor is further drive by the emotion clear in Clancy’s vocals. You can hear the despair and loss in one moment before you are lifted with hope for the future. There is something so hauntingly beautiful about this song that leaves you covered in goosebumps. The crescendo of the track is artfully executed, but the gentle end will stay with you for a long time.
Jess Rose Clancy uses extended metaphors in the intimate but atmospheric ‘Mulberry Tree’ to leave you shivering. The folk melody of the track creates the perfect backing for her operatic vocals that soar through you. With this being her debut single, I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us.
Find out more about Jess Rose Clancy on her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
