His music touches an emotion that a listener might otherwise want to avoid, then causes the listener to be thankful for the opportunity to embrace that emotion. The skill is particularly evident in Tiz McNamara’s single “Don’t Feel.”
It is difficult to understand the effectiveness of “Don’t Feel.” Yes, Tiz McNamara has a voice with a resonance and power well-suited for conveying his level of emotional investment. In “Don’t Feel,” he is able to generate a chill as he drops to a lower pitch at the end of a verse, then he reaches high notes during occurrences of the chorus. And certainly, the vocal reverberation during the chorus is gripping.
It’s the instrumental support that is somehow far more compelling than we can understand. We haven’t had the opportunity to see the song performed, but have mentally pictured the playing of the piano during “Don’t Feel.” The left hand is providing the melody at a lower octave. It’s not challenging, yet it’s emotive. More interestingly, a finger of the right hand repeatedly hits a single key. At times, the mechanical sound of key depression is undeniable. For example, in the final 20 seconds, the musical note and the depression of the key are heard. Thank you Tiz McNamara for a recording that includes evidence that the recording is not governed by electronics. Moreover, the "artifact" increases the texture of the single.
“Don’t Feel” is the third single from the upcoming debut EP of Tiz McNamara, an Irish vocalist/songwriter. The EP will be named “April Fool” and will be dedicated to his brother and father who died before Tiz’s first birthday (April 1). In a Facebook post, Tiz explained a temporary availability of a live version of “Don’t Feel:”
“This is a song about depression. I can remember so clearly a great friend of mine who was suffering from depression a number of years ago and I have never felt so helpless, all I did was listened when needed and years later he told me how much it meant to him to have someone there he could just talk to. There's such a stigma attached and it needs to change, be nice to each other and talk, talk talk.”
“Don't Feel” by Tiz McNamara
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tizmcnamaramusic/
The video was "recorded on a @withgalaxy in the toilet of a 1 bedroom apartment."
Directed and Edited by Dylan Howe.
