Xylaroo – Wild Woman (2020)
Given that we have featured the folk-rock duo Xylaroo twice in the last month, you might think we would be sick of them How wrong you are! Formed in the mid-2000s by sisters Holly and Coco, the ladies are gaining a reputation for engaging lyrics and catchy melodies. Simplicity in its rawest form, Xylaroo use striking acoustic harmonies with basic instrumentation to inspire genuineness and sentimentality. The latest addition to their moving discography is ‘Wild Woman’.
Taken off their five-track EP Wild Woman, the latest single has a Joan Baez meets Norah Jones vibe. Dragging the folk sounds of yesteryear and placing a contemporary spin on them, Xylaroo is the epitome of folk-pop for the 21st century. Big words, but the fact is that the barebones style of ‘Wild Woman’ captures an unearthly innocence with the haunting vocals. While one can feel the power behind the rough voice and easy instrumentation, the track’s lyricism makes it a force to be reckoned with.
“The song is about the constraints on women across the world who should be allowed to grow freely like flowers and trees in the wilderness. It emphasises the restorative powers of nature and love as all things that rot away create the circumstances for new life, change and progress. The song is ultimately about celebrating woman in her wild and natural state rather than as an object to desire on display, as a caged animal, a flower on a page or nature fenced in only tended to appeal to a stranger’s gaze.” – Xylaroo on ‘Wild Woman’
While I generally do not discuss cover artwork for albums or singles, I am compelled to mention the artwork for ‘Wild Woman’ as it is so intricately tied to the track’s concept of female empowerment. A proud, confident woman stands erect displaying the subtlety of physical beauty mixed with the power of an empowered female in the lines of Maya Angelou or Rosa Parks. It just happens that the image is of Holly and Coco’s mother Margaret.
For more from Xylaroo check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
