Marc Bird – Mother Mother (2022)
Marc Bird is fusing two stories into one powerful single in his latest release ‘Mother Mother’. On one hand, the single touches on a lost love he experienced when he was only 16. On the other, the music tells the story of the flooding of Measand and Mardale Green during the creation of the Haweswater Reservoir in 1929. While they are two rather different stories, the emotions they invoke sweep into each other, leaving a poignant trail in their wake.
The partially autobiographical single was written, recorded and mastered by Bird, with the help of Viktor Lundahl who is featured on drums. It is the second track from his album Parting which is set to be released later this year. Continuing his unique introspections, the single blurs the lines between pop and folk, for a touching new sound.
‘Mother Mother’ opens with an alt-folk vibe that mixes with a slightly quirky twang. The melody has your head bopping to its flow before it fades into a hazier pop movement. There is a wonderful ebb and flow feeling to the melody as the folky tones bring a light bounce, while the more subdued hazy pop is a wash of relaxing softness. As the single progresses, the guitar floats out over the vocals like the gentle tumble of small waves hitting the shore. At times, the melody brings a hit of nostalgia to your senses before having you sink back into the cool sands of early morning on the beach. In the last moments of the track, the melody takes on a really rich folk feeling. You can feel a lightness settle on your skin as the emotions of the vocals finish sinking into your soul.
While your head bops to the opening of the single, Bird’s vocals hum and do-do in the higher levels. When the melody dips for the dreamy pop touch, his vocals enter with a hazy and rather dreamy vibe. He brings a sigh of reminiscence to the single as he sends you back in time for both stories in the lyrics. There are moments when his voice echoes to create a feeling of multiple voices joining together to push the emotion of the single into your chest. The lyrics are wonderful as they blend the two stories of the single together in a powerful, yet soft, arrangement. The use of watery imagery brings the flooding of Measand and Mardale Green to life, while acting as a metaphor for the emotions that come with remembering a lost love.
Through the gentle, dreamy tones of ‘Mother Mother’, Marc Bird artfully combines two different stories for an emotionally powerful single. Both the melody and vocals are dreamy and rather relaxing, while the lyrics masterfully use imagery from one story to bring the emotions of the other to life. All of this is wrapped in the delicate blending of folk and pop sensibilities with the lightest touch of quirkiness.
Find out more about Marc Bird on his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
