Friday, March 27, 2020

“Honest” by Caroline Culver – A Song Feature


      Her voice engages in a slow-dance embrace with the lyrics of “Honest,” as Carolina Culver vocally displays the anguish of being in a relationship that is held together by inertia. “Honest” is about remaining silent instead of being honest. In explaining the song, Culver said:
  “It’s easy to lose sight of who you are when you're with the wrong person. So, I wrote this song about not being real with yourself and the relationship you are in. It’s also about finding my honest self-expression as an artist.”

     Caroline Culver’s connection to the song is apparent in the nuances of “Honest.” The lyrics are included at the bottom of this post. The two verses surprisingly have a total of only eight lines. There are three occurrences of the chorus, but each takes a different approach. In the first, the vocals are somewhat guttural and a little angry – “If I’m being honest / I don’t feel the way I should / You don’t wanna leave / But I wish you would….” The second occurrence of the chorus begins around the two-minute mark. Now, for most of the chorus, every other line is harmonized. The second voice (probably overdubbing) has a gentleness that smooths the edginess of “Honesty.” Another difference is the repeating determination to “keep my mouth shut” at the end. This second occurrence is separated from the third by a short, distanced call. Then, Caroline Culver jumps to a higher octave, until the song suddenly quiets for the outro. It is powerful.

      The instrumentation is also noteworthy. For the verses, an acoustic guitar is the prominent instrument. But there is Shoegaze-style guitar that enhances the effectiveness of the description. In comparison, the choruses feature guitar distortion.

     Caroline Culver is based in Nashville, but was raised in Atlanta. She describes the connection to the single:
  “’Honest’ is about being in denial and hiding from your real emotions. Whether those feelings stem from a toxic relationship or something else; I think no matter what - the most important thing to do in life is get real - confront these things. This song grows a new meaning in my life as I continue to sit with it. As a person, I strive to be honest with everything I do; I hope to be transparent with my songs. So ‘Honest’ has really helped me find my self-expression as an artist.”

     For streaming and download opportunities, go to https://on.cmdshft.com/-Honest. Today (March 27), she will perform “Honesty” live from her "living room” facebook.com/events/233527951379442/

     “Honest by Caroline Culver




Lyrics of “Honest by Caroline Culver
Tattoos on his skin
Stories I get lost inside of them
Wake me up at 3am
Just to tell me that I’m something different

If I’m being honest
I don’t feel the way I should
You don’t wanna leave
But I wish you would
If I’m being honest
I don’t say what I could
You don’t wanna hear it
So I keep my mouth shut

Cherry lips pressed to his neck
We’re both sharing my last cigarette
He is darkness
The kind that makes you scared and gets you runnin’

If I’m being honest
I don’t feel the way I should
You don’t wanna leave
But I wish you would
If I’m being honest
I don’t say what I could
You don’t wanna hear it
So I keep my mouth shut
I keep my mouth shut, keep my mouth shut
Keep my mouth shut

If I’m being honest
I don’t feel the way I should
You don’t wanna leave
But I wish you would
If I’m being honest
I don’t say what I could
You don’t wanna hear it
So I keep my mouth shut
I keep my mouth shut, keep my mouth shut
Shut my mouth

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