“You dreamed of having a picture-perfect family / But the man, you chose for this, wasn’t for keeps…” Life is filled with a number of arduous, less than ideal situations that need to be fixed and totally atoned for. In many instances, musicians have penned songs able to assuage numerous unbearable or nearly-unbearable ails and various tribulations. Under-represented is something that is truly prevalent worldwide: being a single mother. Noble Gray, a London-based, genre-bending duo comprised of Fabian Raad-McAndrew and Jarmane Raad-McAndrew, give the single mother the powerful voice they deserve for all they do and what they experience on “Single Mother.”
“Single Mother” appears as the third track from Noble Gray’s 2019 LP, Throwback. It’s nothing short of superb from both a lyrical and musical aspect. Musically, the duo dips into R&B and pop, amplifying soulful, ‘throwback’ sensibilities, while embracing ‘now.’ The keyboards and programming create an awesome backdrop perfectly attuned for frontman Fabian to narratarize the plight of the single mother. He incorporates a full range of vocals from a more dramatic, robust full-fledged vocal to incredibly ripe falsetto.
Continuing the aforementioned lyrics from the first verse, Fabian sings, “…Before you knew, kids were born and was way too late / To finalize, plans for your escape.” Often, single mothers find themselves ‘in the thick of things,’ losing control of the life they had planned. Essentially, life ‘hits’ them and ‘that’s that,’ or at least, that’s the sentiment. The second verse of the song is similar, where a life has been forever changed. Noble Gray captures it best on the chorus, defending, “You didn’t choose it this way” and perhaps most moving, “You did the best you could / Single mother / When I’m alone, I’m okay ‘cause I learned from you.” The big takeaways? The single mother possesses resilience, selflessness, and incredible strength.
You can learn more Noble Gray about here:
About The Curator - Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype (https://themusicalhype.com). When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event.