Feralman – Golden Canary (2022)
Through ‘The Ballad of Life & Death’, Feralman offered us an alternative love song, using certain certainties of life. He is now looking at a very different part of life through ‘Golden Canary’, as he considers the consequences of not acting on your dreams. Continuing his stunning use of metaphor, he replaces talk about what they want and never follow through, with a canary.
While looking at these consequences, he also offers a melodic nod to the rich mining heritage of his home in South Wales. Using an alternative yet cinematic folk flow, he has created two versions of the single. The full version includes an acoustic guitar section and chanting in the middle which has been removed for the radio edit.
‘Golden Canary’ has a really Americana country-folk feeling to the strummed guitar opening. You can almost see the open desert sands created by the opening tones. These notes transform into a more cinematic and opulent feeling as the strings enter. The strings bring an almost melancholic touch to the melody that edges on bittersweet. The strummed movement of the guitar that sweeps into the richness of the chorus is addictive and you never really want it to end. A clapping beat enters, adding a new cinematic touch to the track, before dropping as the chanting and acoustic guitar sections arrive. The instrumental section is stunning and brings a painted wind to your soul as it pulls you into the soaring air currents of the melody.
Feralman’s vocals are tender as he slides into the single, sending shivers down your spine with the almost ethereal beauty of his entry. His voice brings the cool scent of rain in the desert to the soundscape, as the lyrics compare people who are all talk and no action with canaries. This comparison rises higher on the chorus as the backing vocals create the air currents that raise his voice into the air. Through his performance, he considers the negative emotions that come from not acting on your dreams. Halfway through the single, the vocals turn into a chant that stomps and marches through the single. This is a very different sound to the rest of the track, adding a new dimension while still retaining the overall feeling of the single. Following the instrumental section, his vocals rise like the rains sweeping over the sands of the desert.
With a folky and cinematic sweep, Feralman considers the consequences of not taking action and compares people to birds in the beautiful ‘Golden Canary’. The music draws you in with an Americana touch, before sweeping into a stunning instrumental section. The vocals are folky yet cinematic as they fly on the cool air currents of a desert storm.
Find out more about Feralman on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
