OXLIP – 12 Blind Boys (2024)
A couple of months ago, singer-songwriter OXLIP (also known as Jayne Trimble) crossed our path with her single ‘Gallows Hill’. Drifting off into a hazy soundscape with an enchanting sound, the US-based musician effortlessly stole our hearts with ‘Gallows Hill’; however, it is not merely this tune that seeps into your soul. For over ten years, she garnered a loyal following with confident performances, international features, and mesmerising melodies. In 2022, her single ‘Your Mother Was A Peacock’ was nominated for the ‘Emerging Artist Of The Year’ by the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Skip ahead a few years, and she has received acclaim across the globe, with her song ‘A Kind Of Premonition’ featured on MTV’s Ex on the Beach. Today, we take a gander at her single ’12 Blind Boys’.
Coined as “the future of folk” by Folk Alley, Trimble’s singles tend to weave folk-inspired lyricism with mysterious floods of ethereal haunting. Yet, while there is a glistening shine to the surface of her sonic river, you can see the tumultuous waves gathering beneath. Slight ripples rock the boat, but each ripple oozes with profoundness beyond the simplistic exterior.
Similar to ‘Gallows Hill’, ’12 Blind Boys’ captures the core of Gaelic folklore with simultaneously haunting and uplifting tones. Toe-tapping and endearing, ’12 Blind Boys’ is a song of solace, harmony and escapism, all wrapped in a heartwarming mysticism. Recorded and produced with Damien Jurado, Trimble’s angelic vocals flutter along an organ-driven melody tinged by shimmering strings. Interestingly, instead of a haunting effect, the melody is uplifting, joyful and optimistic.
Typically, OXLIP’s music weaves emotional sounds with sinister stories of death and despair – let’s face it, folklore tends to lean toward tragedy. Yet, ’12 Blind Boys’ is anything but tragic. The tumultuous ripples are swirls of warmth and determination finding the best in humanity, not the worst. Trimble explains:
“Music for me is healing… and so it was, perhaps, for the blind harpers of Belfast in 1808, who were taught the harp so that they could earn a living and preserve Irish traditions.”
Find out more about OXLIP on her official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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