Sarah Buckley – Broken Wing (2024)

August 21, 2024 Nicole Mendes Folk

Twirling about as a five-year-old with a hairbrush in her hand singing to a sold-out stadium or intimate crowd – whichever your childish heart desires – many musicians embrace a love of music early in life; Sarah Buckley was not one of these. With a passion for storytelling, she turned to music later on as a singer-songwriter allowing life experience to flow through her tunes. An emerging folk singer-songwriter from Cork, Ireland, Buckley is establishing herself in the Irish folk music scene; however, her music is also turning heads far beyond Ireland. The latest addition to her discography is the single ‘Broken Wing’.

Following her critically acclaimed singles ‘Always Trouble’ and ‘Things We Leave Behind’, Buckley adopts a vintage folk tone in ‘Broken Wing’ with slight nods to Joni Mitchell and Janis Ian… then again just as the track has a retro acoustic style, a contemporary folk tone breathes modern life into nostalgic sounds. Produced with Karl Odlum, the composition is simplistic, sophisticated and offers a barebones starkness in the soundscape. Interestingly, as with the contemporary and retro vibes, there is an intricate fusion of simplistic and kaleidoscopic in ‘Broken Wing’.

The melody itself is emotional in its acoustic arrangement, but it is Buckley’s obscure vocals that add intimacy to ‘Broken Wing’. With poetic lyricism and heartfelt vocals, listening to ‘Broken Wing’ is like sharing secrets with a friend over a cup of hot tea and cake (you can never forget the cake). Yet, the laidback conversation is truly one between old chums as she steps into a delicate issue seeking friendly advice. Buckley explains:

“This song is about being confused because you like a person but don’t like the way you feel when you are around them. You feel at a deficit around them for some reason and probably misunderstood.”

In addition to the single, Sarah Buckley released an official music video for ‘Broken Wing’. You can view the video below or via her YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses image transitions and effects that can trigger migraines and/or seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.

THIS VIDEO USES IMAGE TRANSITIONS AND LIGHTING EFFECTS THAT CAN TRIGGER MIGRAINES AND/OR SEIZURES IN PEOPLE WITH PHOTOSENSITIVE EPILEPSY
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Find out more about Sarah Buckley on her Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.

Discover more folk music on The Other Side Reviews Folk playlist: