Xylaroo – Isolation (2021)
Xylaroo weaves a range of emotions into a tapestry of solitude with ‘Isolation’. Written during the first lockdown, the single looks at wanting to be away from people and the cruelty of the world. This is tempered with the conflicting desire to be around people and the feeling that isolation is unsustainable. While touching on this, the track also considers feeling like you don’t fit in and wanting to be where the grass seems perpetually greener.
This painting of conflicting emotions comes from the lead singer and songwriter of the band, Holly Chant. With her sister Coco, she creates catchy melodies packed with striking harmonies. This single is a little different with a deep sense of loneliness washed with the majesty and grace of peaceful solitude.
‘Isolation’ slowly pulls you into the contemplation of solitude. The tendrils of the melody creep around your senses like wisps of smoke or mist. There is a very solitary feeling to the music as you seem to stand alone with the vast expanse of the soundscape reaching infinitely around you. The melody has a minimalist arrangement, but this only enhances the solitude of the single. The strings that lightly breathe through the low levels adds a silvery shimmer to the music that turns into a gentle awakening of thought.
Chant’s vocals move you through a mass of thoughts and emotions. The lyrics draw on John Keats’ poetry for imagery while the husky yet ethereal vocals have your spirit reaching out into the ether. You can easily sink into the vocal performance as it sets a peaceful shawl over your shoulders and helps you breathe deeply. While you are lulled into a relaxed sense, the performance does throw contrasting emotions across the soundscape as the lyrics bring a yearning to be somewhere or someone else.
Xylaroo delve into the misty valleys of solitude and the peace it can bring in the aptly titled ‘Isolation’. There are conflicting emotions that shine through the single as you embrace solitude while still yearn for other people. There is a lot of depth to the single as it piles layers of meaning and emotion into its gentle flows.
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