We don't always give a lot of thought to the words we use. We throw things out there that sound good, without taking the time to really analyze what it is we're saying. Often, we will say something to the effect that a band has 'grown apart' from us. But what does that mean? Many times, it's a nicer way of saying we don't like the music we're hearing anymore, one that didn't come from a lot of deep introspection. But then there is the opposite case, where we say that a band is thinking along the same lines as we are. Is that any different? Aren't we just finding a way to shoe-horn ourselves in and try to take a bit of credit for why we like the music?
I'm confronting these questions while listening to the latest single from The Spider Accomplice. Titled "Keep", the band's new ballad once again hits the mark as a great song, but also engages my mind in the kind of existential thinking largely absent from my music listening. We'll get to that in a moment.
The last ballad the band released, "Crawl", was my favorite song of 2020. They showed their commitment to being a bit outside-the-box, and VK's theatrical background, were the perfect recipe for a dramatic ballad that could tear the sky open. This time around, they aren't trying to condense the entire world into one song. "Keep" is an even softer song, one that makes introspection a private act, and not performance art. It's a different take on a similar sound, but wisely doesn't try to compete with their own perfection.
We're invited in by the warm sound of 12-string acoustic guitars, as Arno adds flourishes to the chord structure, and VK's vocal comes in and sets the solemn tone. She sings of secrets, and when Arno's electric guitars fill the chorus, it marks a shift in tone where we note that secrets are a marker of trust. Keeping them can be indicators of love, honor, and character. Sometimes. Other times, secrets are a burden we place on others without realizing the weight keeps them tied down, unable to walk their own path freely.
But it's the bridge that gets to me. VK sings, "this barbed wire in my tapestry/digs in to skin reminding me/binding me". It's a vivid image, yet I'm sure it hits me harder than it will most anyone else listening to the song. In my own writings, I have (more than once) written my own song centered around a similar image, using the conceit of bleeding for our faith in another person. My initial thought was how interesting it was that VK and I fell into similar metaphors, but after giving it a bit more thought, it struck me this is what it means to be on the same page as a band. Not only is their style enmeshed with my own taste, but the very way VK's words are born uses the same language as my own. I find that fascinating.
If "Crawl" was the anthem of self-empowerment leading us to shed our masks and costumes, "Keep" is the hymn reminding us good works do not need to be done in public. Small moments, small acts, can be just as powerful. Sometimes the biggest things we can do for people involve doing nothing, that simply being and believing expresses more than a grand act ever could. Conversely, that same approach can be the most painful sacrifice of all, where we take on someone else's burdens, because we don't know what else we can do for them. Through our secrets, we can show both love and contempt, depending on how noble the details happen to be.
Maybe that's asking a lot for a three minute song to convey, but I'm glad The Spider Accomplice keeps me thinking. That's why they're special.
"Keep" will be released on January 15th. Pre-save the song here.
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