“Raincoats” by Lo Moon – A Song Feature

 

      The start of “Raincoats” is requiem-like and the conclusion captures sensibilities of music from early Yes. Sandwiched between the two ends is a kaleidoscope of musical approaches, including a percussion-driven crescendo and a few seconds in which modulation and other processing wrestle away control of the song. The single from Lo Moon has the ability to function equally well in the role at the top of a concert setlist or as an encore favorite.
 
     “Raincoats” is a single from “A Modern Life,” the sophomore album of Lo Moon. The members of the Los Angeles-based band are Matt Lowell (vocals, guitar, piano), Crisanta Baker (guitar, bass, keys), Sam Stewart (guitar, keys), and Sterling Laws (drums). Lowell’s comfort in the upper octaves, without being falsetto, is one justification for the comparison to Yes and its lead vocalist Jon Anderson. The other basis for the comparison relates to the sophistication and power of the instrumentation following the guitar entrance at the 3:21 mark.
 
     The correlation of a requiem with the early portion of “Raincoats” peaks shortly after the one-minute mark, when the vocal processing establishes a feel of a high mass with hazy vocals that can perceived as Latin when the lyrics are given only a "soft focus." In reality, the lyrics are:  

Is there no better way?

Is there no way to save us?

Just take my hand

No there’s always a chance

Under raincoats

I don’t feel alone

 
      Quoting press content with which we agree, “the vocals of ‘Raincoats’ echo into a shuffling groove eventually leading to the climactic rush of electric guitars and modulated synths.” When talking about the album as a whole, Matt Lowell said:
  “’A Modern Life’ is about survival. Navigating through all that’s thrown at us. Maintaining who we are and where we want to be. Music itself has been so powerful for us in our own survival, it can change everything in an instant. As a band, we’ve got a lot of reverence for it and strive for it. We don’t take it for granted.”
  In a closely related description, “A Modern Life” is the band’s way of navigating through struggles with identity and expectation - but at its core, remains filled with hope and a desire to stay true to oneself.
 
     “A Modern Life” is scheduled for release on February 25, 2022, via Strngr Recordings/Thirty Tigers. To pre-order the album, visit https://lomoon.komi.io/. Lo Moon will be touring Europe and North America in promotion of the album. The tour schedule at https://www.lomoonofficial.com/live shows that Lo Moon will include a visit to San Francisco on June 11 (at Bottom of the Hill).  
 
     “Raincoats” by Lo Moon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lomoon

Website: https://www.lomoonofficial.com/ 

 

Lyrics of “Raincoats” by Lo Moon
Now it’s all gone way too far
I don’t understand who we are
Under raincoats
I don’t feel alone
 
All the fairy tales we’ve bought
All my dreams lost in the dark
Under raincoats
I don’t feel alone
 
Is there no better way?
Is there no way to save us?
Just take my hand
No there’s always a chance
Under raincoats
I don’t feel alone
 
Watch me as I run
Watch me as I run to the edge of this
 
Listen to my heart
Listen to my heart beat
Is it too fast?
Am I too far?
Oh here I go again
Oh here I go again!
 
Listen to my heart
Listen to my heart beat
Is it too fast?
Am I too far?
Oh here I go again
Oh here I go again!
Oh here we go again
 
Listen to my heart
Listen to my heart beat
Is it too fast?
Am I too far?
I wanna go again
I wanna go again
 
Listen to my heart
Listen to my heart beat
Is it too fast?
Am I too far?
I wanna go again
I wanna go again
 
Oh here we go again!
Oh here we go again!
 
Oh here we go again!
Oh here we go again!
 
Now here we are stuck right in the middle of it
Now here we are stuck right in the middle of it
Now here we are stuck right in the middle of it
Now here we are stuck right in the middle of it
 
Now here we are stuck right in the middle of it
Now here we are stuck right in the middle of it
Now here we are stuck right in the middle of it
Now here we are stuck right in the middle of it