‘Lantern Light’ follows MANY A SON’s first single ‘Northbound Rails,’ parallelling its homesickness with its own longing, reaching for loved ones far from home. A mellow, stripped-back offering from the duo, more firmly rooted in the alt-folk realm, with acoustic guitars and vocals taking centre stage. The song captures the feelings of navigating life alone, accompanied only by lambent memories to keep you going. The pensive tone and musing sound create a tension that grows and wanes like a lantern flame. The guitars call to each another; the drums, bass and faint synth burn throughout in a flickering cadence. At first soft and tame, the song grows ablaze, ignited by emotional vocals creating a plea for guidance and familiarity.
lyrics
[VS 1]
Oh fading light
The day grows old
Still, I must go
This way you’ve set
Is no good to me
If I can’t see
[CH]
So bring me your light
From the cobblestones
And bring me your light
From the railroads
And bring me your light
From the cobblestones
Bring me your light
From the lake in the mountains
[VS 2]
Now the light, once bright, dark it grows
And my lantern, once shining, is burning low
And these shadows, growin’ round, are creeping in
Stealing my hope as they crawl on my skin
[CH]
[BRIDGE]
When my heart is hard to carry
And the night seems long and lonely
I think back to a time
when all this darkness could not hold me
And I know I will return,
But I’ll wander through this world
With all these memories to warm my cold soul.
The Oh Hellos are masterminds when it comes to band dynamics and poetic lyrics, enough to inspire any music-lover to dust off their old instruments. Well worth a listen MANY A SON
The Icelandic songwriter packs her stunning debut with sweeping melodies delivered via intimate, folky arrangements. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 12, 2023