Monique Barry – Coyote (2020)
Monique Barry is using her single ‘Coyote’ to explore conflicting forces. The single came to life after a news report stating a coyote had been seen in her Toronto neighbourhood. This led her to a reflection on the dynamic of mutual encroachment where the invasion of the coyote into the urban sprawl is a result of humanities encroachment on their natural habitat.
Using this dynamic, she has created a reflective single that looks at how actions taken have consequences. It also touches on the entrapment claims from both sides of the dynamic. This has been put to a rich electro-acoustic soundscape which richly ripples with artful instrumentation. Barry is joined on the single by Kevin Lacroix (electric guitar), Alisdair Jones (bass), Michael Wojewoda (drums, vocals) and Emma Campbell (vocals).
The crackling percussion that opens ‘Coyote’ grabs your attention as the piano line meanders through the middle of it. The melody matches the conflicting topic as it creates a sense of duality through the instrumentation. The electronic elements and percussion are like humanities encroachment while the keyboards and piano lines represent nature. These lines play against each other, yet merge at the same time like the move from cityscape to rural natural landscapes. When the chorus hits, the music takes a completely different turn as all elements merge for a lush soundscape.
While the melody plays out the duality of mutual encroachment, the vocals provide an intimate environment. The spoken-word verses are poetry against the meeting of the melodic lines. This gives way on the chorus for a solid melodic flow. The chorus not only takes you away from the conflict through the melody as the vocals have you yearning for nature and all its wonders.
Monique Barry explores the duality of mutual encroachment through the landscape of a coyote in the suburbs with ‘Coyote’. The conflict of the topic plays out sonically through the meeting of crackling percussion and melodic piano lines. Her vocals draw you in with spoken-word poetry before sending you into a yearning for nature on the flowing chorus.
Find out more about Monique Barry on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
