Aaron Yorke – Difficult Year (2020)
In different ways, 2020 was a year that was difficult for most people. Aaron Yorke has taken everything we all experienced and built a moving piano-driven ballad from it with ‘Difficult Year’. The perfectly titled track is a way to remember when the world seemed to stand still while reflecting on the changes, good and bad, the last year brought.
The single continues the hauntingly beautiful soundscapes we got lost in with ‘Jail’ and ‘Games’. While Yorke does draw on the personal changes and emotions he faced, the single is one that everyone can connect with. Sensitive and carefully crafted, it will have you sinking into reflection and considering how things might have changed for the better.
‘Difficult Year’ opens with Yorke’s vocals effortlessly sliding over a delicate piano line. While his vocals have a silken feel to them, there is a reflective vibe to them. As his performance builds in power, there is a painful ache threaded into his vocals. A very emotive performance, he tugs at your heartstrings while making you feel like there is hope and good in the bad. The lyrics touch on personal changes Yorke has gone through, but you are able to connect with the emotions through his experiences even if you have not been through the same.
As Yorke’s vocals wash you in the anguish of changes and realisation of the good, the melody swells with his emotions. The piano-driven melody starts out delicately and builds in emphasis as the track continues. The piano is joined by a light dance of strings that add to the sadness of the music. Together these musical lines bolster the emotions of the vocals.
Aaron Yorke inundates you with emotion through a hauntingly beautiful and morose melody countered by emotive vocals in ‘Difficult Year’. While tapping into his own difficulties, he creates a single that everyone can relate to on an emotional level. The pain and wonder threaded into his performance pierces your heart and has you acknowledging both the good and bad of the last year.
Find out more about Aaron Yorke on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
