Craig Cardiff – Yellowknife (2020)
Canada’s north is a corner of the country that folk singer-songwriter Craig Cardiff has slowly fallen in love with over the last decade. As an ode to this area, he has released ‘Yellowknife’ featuring a large ensemble of musicians from around the world. Backing his signature writing style is an orchestra’s worth of strings and horns.
While the single is a picture of his love for the area, his songwriting prowess creates a relatable track. Looking past the ode in the lyrics, the song is essentially a love story that emerges as the whole world comes crashing down. The musicians featured on the track hail from various parts of the globe from Hong Kong to New York and some areas closer to Cardiff’s home in Canada.
Cardiff wastes no time getting you into the lyrics of ‘Yellowknife’. While there is a short opening with a strumming guitar, his deep tones are what catches your attention. There is a great rhythm to this song that makes you want to sway to it. It picks up pace at the chorus making you want to sing along. The driving chorus is fun to listen to and provides the uplifting feeling of the song.
The strings and horns on the track are artfully included in the arrangement as they don’t overpower the vocals or take away the folk vibe of the track. The strings are a light tone in the background while the horns come into their own more around the chorus. The harmonisations in the chorus are also wonderful to hear as they meld with the horns and Cardiff’s distinct voice.
Mixing an ode to the Canadian north and a love song, Craig Cardiff keeps you hooked with ‘Yellowknife’. The strings and horns featured on the song are skilfully included to highlight them while keeping to Cardiff’s sound.
Find out more about Craig Cardiff on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
