Friday, February 14, 2020

“Easy Days” by Seth Samuelson & the Harvest Sons - A Song Feature


     Describing “Easy Days” as layered and nuanced is accurate and earned praise, but still undersells the intelligence of the composition. The single by Seth Samuelson & the Harvest Sons includes opposition, tempo shifts, and treatment departures. The opposition is immediately apparent, as the lyrics emphasis taking life leisurely (living life for this moment together), while the tempo is energizing. But the opposition is particularly evident at the 1:48 mark, when a quick-build crescendo is triggered by the counter instruction “Slow down / I said slow down.”

      Our favorite treatment departure is the difference between the corresponding first and last lines of “Easy Days.” The Harvest Sons' single is launched with a rhythmic guitar and slightly reverberated vocals. There isn’t an intro; the song hits the ground moving at a quick pace. At the end, when the song returns to the options of either walking down to the coffee shop or staying home, less insistent percussion holds the pace and the guitar is a melodically pleasing strum.

     Harvest Sons is based in Peoria, Illinois. The band is fronted by Seth “Samuelson” Cocquit. The content around “Easy Days” is interesting:
  “The song takes a pop turn and harnesses the present moment for all its worth, a common theme throughout Harvest Sons' collection of soul infused Rust Belt Americana. [Says Seth], "I tried to make this song so simple, but like a painting you start adding layers. Treating this song like a painting adding brush strokes as we went.
  This song features some friends and cohorts who made this song what it is. Production and much guitar work goes to Bob Mayo of K Street Studios in Morton, Illinois along with Central Illinois native and former member of Harvest Sons, Elyse Wiley on vocals, Nick Fairley on drums, and Nashville's Graham Burris who laid down bass on the track.”

     “Easy Days” by Seth Samuelson & the Harvest Sons




Lyrics of “Easy Days” by Seth Samuelson & the Harvest Sons
We could walk down
To the coffee shop
That's down by the barber
Or we could stay home
Here instead
Why make this harder?
Than it needs to be
Needs to be

Close your eyes
Let me show you
Close your eyes
So you can see
Close your eyes, now
For a moment
And forget about everyone but you and me

On easy days
Easy days
Easy days
Easy days
On easy days laying here with you like this
On easy days laying here with you like this

Slow down
I said slow down
Tomorrow comes like she does
For now, let's just think about us

On easy days
Easy days
Easy days
Easy days
On easy days laying here with you like this [Repeating]

We could walk down to the coffee shop
That's down by the barber
Or we could stay home here instead
Why make this harder?

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