Herald K – Echo’s Song (2023)
Wrapping their listeners in an ethereal haze filled with mystic twinkling lights, singer-songwriter Herald K can intoxicate you with any of his tender melodies. Hailing from Norway, but now based in Vienna, Austria, Herald K has been performing for several years; although, he only has a few releases beneath his streaming belt. From the debut album Strange Delights to his single ‘Circe’, he has been praised by media across the globe – including us! The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘Echo’s Song’.
Influenced by folklore and mythology, Herald K translated a poem by Yeats in his desperate single ‘Wandering Aengus’ and looked at a river god’s lust for a water nymph in ‘Arethusa’. Now, he takes us on another mystical journey with ‘Echo’s Song’. Herald K explains that this song “tells the ancient story of Echo and Narcissus, but with particular emphasis on Echo’s experience…”
If you aren’t clued up on the tale, here’s an extremely quick summary of the myth: water nymph, Echo, falls in love with the young mortal Narcissus. When she approaches him, he rejects her completely appalled and disgusted. This rejection was so painful, Echo asks Nemesis to curse Narcissus to fall into a state of unrequited love. Nemesis has Narcissus fall in love with his reflection eventually resulting in his death as he could not look away from the reflection. During this time, Echo became more infatuated with Narcissus and despite being immortal she faded away her bones turning to stone.
Using his superb storytelling skills, Herald K relays the myth of Echo and Narcissus as if he were reading the tale from a book of folklore. Holding your breath and becoming more captivated as the tale progresses, we could be children listening to a story falling further and further into a mystical world of imagination. The stark, minimalist soundscape enhances this ethereal haze as the piano slowly beckons you closer to engulf you in kaleidoscopic smoke. Yet, while the melody is entrancing, it is the tenderness of the vocal execution that truly stirs your soul. Performed with Lina Louise, the female vocals add a gentle femininity to the song representing and evoking the true pain of Echo.
For more from Herald K, check out his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
