Coral Gables – Bygone (2021)
While many events that happen in our past fade into memories, everything we experience affects our present. This is something that Coral Gables considers with his single ‘Bygone’. Drawing on personal struggles and how the body holds onto trauma, he reflects on the past and the overarching impact it has on the future.
While this is something that could turn rather dark, Erik Beruvides, the man behind the music, keeps things light and flowing. Plucking elements of Americana, ambient and acoustic pop, he swirls them together with some indie rock sensibilities for a reflective yet uplifting single. With lyrics that are easy to relate to and a soundscape that you can sink into, this is definitely a song you don’t want to miss.
‘Bygone’ uses a gentle opening to grab your attention. The acoustic guitar lightly sways through your ears and leads you to the beats that get your body lightly bopping. There is a layering to the melody that brings a ripple of a moving river to the earthiness of acoustic rock. The shimmering wash of strummed guitars breaks the movement for a soft floating feeling. This is a wonderfully refined melody that perfectly draws you into a reflective feeling which adds to the power of the vocals. You can easily close your eyes and give in to the movement of the music. However, there is a moment of darkness that rises with a deep drone later in the track that adds texture and human experience to the soundscape.
As you travel down the melody, Beruvides’ vocals add a touch of Americana to the track. His voice has this authentic organic edge that is so pure. Through his vocals, you feel the fingers of past experiences grasping at the present and leaving impressions that affect current perspectives. The lyrics bring this movement to life as you feel a hint of nostalgia mixing with the ever-forward movement of life. When the melody picks up the hint of darkness, the vocals swing to match with a pained question. While packed with reflective emotions, there is something strangely hopeful about his performance that leads you to the understanding that you can move on from past experiences and embrace how they affect the present.
Coral Gables has you feeling the grasping fingers of the past as they pluck at the present in the smooth and rather uplifting sound of ‘Bygone’. The melody is rich as it sways and ripples through your senses. His vocals add an extra touch of earthy goodness that enhances the power of the lyrics.
Find out more about Coral Gables on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
