Lately Spirit Level songs have been loud, high gain outings; here`s something completely different Scott and I worked up and never quite finished.
The write happened at the time the Thai cave boys rescue was happening ( a story my family hung on breathlessly as we have connections to the area).

Music Underwater

Style is _SCARCE.STY (Scarce Dreamy Americana)

RealTracks in style: 2877:Bass, Acoustic, AmericanaSlow16thsByron Ev16 060
RealTracks in style: 2704:Synth, Rhythm CloudRapLowOrgan Ev16 075
2705 " " " " Percussive
RealTracks in song: 1596:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Pop16ths Ev16 065
RealTracks in song: 1840:Synth Pad, PopModernGrooveMellow Ev16 075
RealDrums Mallets slow Folk 8ths
Loops Waterphone/Rainstick/Bodhran
Scott: Guitar: Les Paul

Amp: Marshall 1974x

Effects: H9’s and an Archer.



Music Underwater

drip drip cavern dark
shivering shimmering
thoughts fly and spark

folding wings inside myself
hours of days accordion
who will come to help
neversinkneversinkneversink


weak the arms fighting for me
in a tiny ocean
the belly of a beast
heard that drum once before
music underwater
the day I was born

deep inside this dare
drink the midnight cool
pray the mountain spirit spares

feel her breathe and sigh
how to tell you mother
when we are eye to eye
swimtoyouswimtoyouswimtoyou


weak the arms fighting for me
in a tiny ocean
the belly of a beast
I heard that drum once before
music underwater
the day I was born

© Robert Cordrey Jan. 2019

Robert & Scott...

A really cool soundscape. Innovative instrument choices. Carries the narrative well. Scott's guitar fits perfectly.

A good write.
"I heard that drum once before
music underwater
the day I was born"
...nice.

There were a few spots where the vocal gets "muddled up" with similar frequencies resulting in a bit of boominess. (Not sure which track is bumping into it...)
It's a cool vocal.

Good envelope-pushing. Keep it up!

fj

Hi Robert and Scott,

I had to listen several times to this remarkable, intriguing song.
It appealed to a lot within me, beside the story of those boys.
The melody is the most intriguing part, but Roberts' vocals had a great contribute to it too.
Very well done!

The things Floyd mentioned I didn't hear, but that is maybe because of my second line.

Beautiful!

Hans

Robert, this sounds like a sunrise... Beautiful piece of work.

Bob

Thanks Floyd. I was so glad Robert put this song back on the table. Glad you liked it.



Hey Bob Good to hear from you glad you like the song.

Robert,
Such a contrast from previous tune. Excellent slow write! Your poetry is always a treat. Nice intimate vocals. Scott's guitar sounds perfect. Percussion works very (!) well on this. A good clear mix. Enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing!
Misha.

P.S. That cave incident was very intense and emotional. Sadly, that hero diver died.

I was surprised by the style change, closer to Robert's usual song. But it is welcome change. Easy to relate to the feelings in the story, because it was such a big news also here. "Hours of days accordion" - the delicate subject handled beautifully.
Nice vocal effect to give feeling of an echo in a cave. Also percussions and loops add to the imagery. Maybe Scott's guitar could have had some bouncing effect somewhere. The guitar works nicely on its own. I like the selected bass.

Janne

Floyd,
Thanks for supporting our delving into different styles.
This was a tough song to mix - I wanted a "cavernous" sound ( bassy, echoes) which is challenging to keep from sounding muddy. Others with more experience in whatever genre this fits would know better how to sort the frequency overlap; my solution was to record the high harmony vocal and pretty much ignore the tonal balance of modern music.

Robert

We followed that story very closely. It was fascinating in many aspects ... technically, human nature and geographically.

Thanks to your backstory it is easy to envision facets of the news story within your write.

We felt the cavernous vibe that you mentioned. And the ethereal production also adds to it.

Your vocal, Scott's playing, the band choice and the mix all worked well to create that vibe.

Well done!

J&B

This painted a really strong image and felt like a musical story for sure. Great use of the style. Thanks for sharing!

Spirit Level,

You folks really have been hitting your stride of late. While a departure from your more recent cuts, this is just excellent. Moody and haunting, with an underlying sadness and beauty. Love’s Scott’s guitar work on this—really resonates. A poetic, wonderful write; excellent vocals—in particular that harmony sits just perfectly behind the lead. Outstanding work, gents!

All the best,

Deej

A really beautiful song. A very otherworldly sound, which fits the topic perfectly. The lyrics are poetry, as always, and the guitar work by Scott is thrilling, as usual. Great job here. The band captured a mystic mood too. Nice.

Wow, what a cool song. Robert & Scott, you guys are such talented songwriters and performers. I really like the almost haunting harmony. Everything so tastefully presented.

Very cool intro, sets the mood right from the start. Nice production, sounds great through the 'phones.

You guys are pushing the sides of the envelope with every song you do, no matter the genre.

Always a delight to listen to!

Well said !

Hans - Glad you could relate to the subject and enjoyed our change of pace

Bob- I like that image; thank you for listening.

Misha - I appreciate those positive comments.
I`m as hardened to feeling watching news as most; those boys and particularly their equanimity under such duress, got right through.

Janne - Yes, this is my musical ballad self,with percussion,sound effects and Scott`s fine accompaniment.
Thanks for your kind comments on the vocals and lyrics.

J&B- I`m happy to hear you found those cavernous sounds convincing. Thanks for your thoughtful comments.

Nice one.
Subtlety and nuance...very pre me.

Thanks Misha for the awesome comments. So glad you liked the song.



Thanks Janne for checking out the song. Appreciate your comments. Glad you like it.



Thanks Janice and Bud for checking out the song. So glad you liked it.

Thanks to all listening and finding good things in our subterranean musing...we`ll be back with another rocker soon!

Robert

Hi Robert,

Nice research in the instrumentation which creates a very special atmosphere. The reverb is well balanced and allows you to highlight your voice. The lyrics are very gripping. Well done.

Kindly regard
alias JaniJackFlash

Robert

Very very atmospheric, and a lovely backing for your lyric.

Nice playing by Scott throughout, suits the song perfectly.

Lovely.

Peter

Intriguing title and not disappointed with the dreaminess of the resulting sound. Of course, we were also immensely engaged in the unfolding story and even in the aftermath, such a microcosm of this stinking modern world. Very floaty result, and Scott's guitar, sparse and effective, works so well here. I really enjoyed this.

Very vibey song (I know that's not a word). I can see where the title came from....perfect description! Love the atmospheric feel of the music and the lyric that matches it so well!! Nice job guys!!! Take care. Greg

Thanks everyone for taking the time to have a listen to the song.

Tangmo so glad you got a chance to have a listen. I knew this song hit close to home for you as well as Robert and family

Love the sound - dark and moodly, and really captures the "belly of the beast" you're singing about.

Scott's playing is excellent here.

Thanks David for checking out the song. Appreciate the comments. Glad you liked it

What a great track. The lyrics are inspired and the instrumentation and arrangement excellent.

Hi Robert and Scott,

You've both done a great job!

When I started listening, the new-age, floating, dreamy soundscape reminded me of the musical "Hair". I recall that throughout "Hair", sound was often used to create mood and physical and emotional sensations.

That's when your work captured me.

This journey was an experience and not just a simple song.

All the best to you both,
Noel

That story was riveting, I was on edge until they got out. This song captured the story well. Lyrics were great, loved the percussion and guitar. Great gestalt in the arrangement of this song. Well done.

The music has that ethereal "Twin Peaks" sound that I like. Love the lyrics as always. You have an original way with words, observations, and story telling.

Robert and Scott,

I completely agree with floyd.
"A really cool soundscape. Innovative instrument choices. Carries the narrative well. Scott's guitar fits perfectly."
Loops Waterphone/Rainstick/Bodhran are doing a very good job.
As Janne says, this song is closer to Robert's usual song.
And I also think it is welcome change.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Thanks Chris, Noel, TM, Ezekial, and Shigeki for checking out the song. Your comments are very much appreciated.