Craig Gould – Captain of the Seas (2021)
Through his single ‘Ain’t No Place to Hide’, Craig Gould merged modern flairs with old-school folk while sprinkling melancholy over empowerment. He continues his compelling folk narrative with ‘Captain of the Seas’ which balances beauty and heartbreak. Written as he recovered from a collapse, hospitalisation and struggles with mental health, the track is soaked in everything he experiences at the time.
Honest and vulnerable, Gould opens up through the track and hands listeners his heart through the delicately balanced strains of the music. While Gould had a support network of people to help him through his darkest times, this track understands that we are not all that fortunate. Both a journey and a celebration of what he is trying to do with his music, he encourages us to all look out for ourselves and each other.
‘Captain of the Seas’ has a mournful feeling that shines in the opening through the sorrowful strains of the strings. The acoustic guitar brings a grounded feeling that tempers the melancholy. As more layers are added to the melody, the emotive well becomes deeper and you are pulled further under his spell. The strings continue to dance to a mournful flow while the piano brings lighter touches to the soundscape offering the twinkle of light and warmth. It is a really powerful melody that could easily fill you with the emotions of the single on its own, but combined with the vocals it becomes a masterpiece of folky beauty.
As you are drawn into the layers of the melody, Gould’s vocals bolster the folk feeling of the music. His performance has a storytelling quality that brings another hit of emotive power to the track. The metaphor of the seas is amazing and wonderfully captures the feeling of inevitability of falling to the powers of mental health struggles. As the single progresses, Gould’s vocals gain strength as he calls out into the soundscape. There is so much emotion delicately woven into his performance that you can feel it well inside your chest and threaten to overtake you. This inundation of emotion is another aspect of the single that perfectly captures the message he is imparting.
Craig Gould draws you into a deep well of emotion that threatens to overtake you while balancing between beauty and heartbreak in ‘Captain of the Seas’. The music combines mournful strings with the hopeful sprinkles of light piano notes. Gould’s vocals are powerful as they bring the message of the track home and further draw you under the waves of emotion.
Find out more about Craig Gould on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
