It's a double header this week - back to back Cathal Flaherty tracks and this one isn't even released yet but oh my god - it's a stunner! If we were bending the rules of the list a bit last week by having Two Hearts - we're back with a direct examination of lost love and the agony it induces.
We've talked often on this list about being the one left behind - the one who wasn't ready to stop - the one who still actually loves the other even when you know they don't, and will probably never love you back.
Anguish is the word that comes to mind - severe mental or physical pain or suffering - anguish hurts - it hurts in the stomach, it hurts in the heart, it makes you screw your face up and curl into a fetal ball, rocking yourself to oblivion. But it doesn't start there - no - anguish comes on slowly, often at night, it seeps into you as you remember one memory after another - a planned trip or vacation never to happen - a friendship dashed and a future lost - the constant reminder that it's never going to be good again.
Let You Go is a beautiful track - it starts out so sweetly and just builds and builds and builds - this video was shot live and Cathal's playing and looping and singing - it's a masterful performance - I pray that when he cuts this that the studio captures and retains the emotional power of this raw delivery.
This track isn't on his recent EP The Head & The Heart but there are five great tracks on there - once you've picked yourself up off the floor, dried your eyes and are feeling a wee bit better - you should totally go and check them out!
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You can learn more about Cathal Flaherty here:
About the Curator - Andrew McCluskey
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the dark forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top. They would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
After my dad died I was very sad - I couldn't play for a while and when I did, the music that came out reflected my grieving state. I wrote an album of solo piano music called Music to Grieve to - from which the idea of the Music to community originated.
If you'd like to know more you should read Nicole's fabulous article on why listening to sad music can make you feel better.
Latest Posts
A Life in Full Color (song for Louis) – Gerhardt
25 September 2021
Why write a song reflecting on the suicide of a beloved friend? Why send it out into the world? What purpose does that serve? Ever since Gerhardt reached out and sent me this beautiful track, I’ve been reflecting on those questions – and while I don’t have an answer, I have an idea of one…
A Further Look at Loss – Andrew Wasylyk
13 April 2021
I was feeling sad – and I know why, but damn it’s so hard at times.
I’ve sat and watched as circumstance came in and deconstructed my defences one by one – constant pain leading to lack of sleep to lack of writing to lack of self care to lack of confidence to lack of hope to – STOP!
Paralysed – The Staves
31 March 2021
There’s this idea in life that just because you know a thing it makes it easier to deal with.
Like sitting down with a therapist, driving through your history until you find the behavior that causes you, many years later, to run away from connection or drink too much or insist on cleaning everything 3 times.