OXLIP – Gallows Hill (2024)
The brainchild of singer-songwriter Jayne Trimble, OXLIP is a solo endeavour filled with enigmatic, enthusiastic, enchanting, ethereal sound. For at least ten years, Trimble has entertained listeners with her award-winning, chart-topping music reaching an international audience from the USA to the UK, Germany and Australia. Now based in North America, the Northern Irish native brings the Irish charm of Sinead O’Connor and Dolores O’Riordan to her music while retaining a unique sound that is entirely OXLIP. This is our introduction to OXLIP, so join us as we delve into her latest single ‘Gallows Hill’.
It sounds like a fantastical place with a magical aura of breathtaking awesomeness, but Gallows Hill is a real place in Northern Ireland. Yet, as intriguingly mystical as it may seem, there is a dark history hanging in the haunting air. Trimble explains that “Gallows Hill is in Downpatrick, County Down, near where I grew up… It’s a place of great beauty but it was also a place for public execution in the 1800s”, so this might explain its haunting air – something that is clearly felt in Trimble’s new track.
Following her well-received single ‘Wayward Woman’ in 2022, ‘Gallows Hill’ is one of those songs that perfectly capture the core of Gaelic folklore, but this time it isn’t quite folklore we’re tapping into. Produced by Damien Jurado, ‘Gallows Hill’ is a vintage folk tune weaving piano with Trimble’s obscure vocals in a free-flowing acoustic-ness. Not necessarily upbeat but a toe-tapping song with sing-along potential, ‘Gallows Hill’ seems one of those really old traditional tunes that might be a beautiful lullaby.
Soft, smooth and simplistic, a barebones beauty exists in ‘Gallows Hill’. Yet, the juxtaposition between a heart-warming folk melody and the lyricism highlights a profound depth to the track. The lyrics, “my heart is a stranger in a town of despair…” dredges up painful vulnerability and fragility in a conflicted existence – and Trimble’s hushed vocals emphasise the despair. However, the poetic content also has a brighter side as Trimble sings “I bid you my brothers that life should be fair, I pray for my sisters your children should be well…” Alright, not an astounding glare of optimism… then again, in her own way Trimble hopes for the best that you won’t be downtrodden.
Intricate, complex and filled with sentimental sincerity, ‘Gallows Hill’ is a wistful smile flowing through a tear-jerking soundscape.
Find out more about OXLIP on her official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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