In
“Calico,” Thomas LaVine transports the listener to a scene in which snow covers
a house and the nighttime light is provided by a lighthouse. He displays his
lyrical prowess in painting the landscape and showcases his instrumentation
artistry in crafting the fitting soundscape. Then, during an instrumental
bridge that seems to allow time for reflection, “Calico” shifts to a confession
that it was a mistake not to have stayed longer. LaVine explains that the song
was motivated by a trip to Northern Michigan and his questioning of whether he
allowed himself to be “in the moment.”
The
instrumental portion of “Calico” and the admission of mistake that follows are
particularly well crafted. At the 2:09 mark, the vocals echo the song’s name as
a decrescendo flows to pensive ambience. When an acoustic guitar enters,
“Calico” begins its return to consciousness, which involves a subtle crescendo.
We prefer to believe that the composition of this sequence required considerable
time and attention to detail. We don’t necessarily consider it to be a positive when songwriters
state that a song came together quickly and painlessly.
Thomas
LaVine was born in Florida, then raised in the small town of Blacksburg, South
Carolina. In an interesting explanation of his motivation in music, he said:
“I make music because I feel like it is stitched into my being. It has always been there and will be there for as long as I am alive. I find most of my inspiration in the wild, and in moments of solitude and quiet. Making music gives me a sense of self-realization, and helps me to understand my own thoughts, struggles and what gives me joy… I find that using abstract ideas to convey my thoughts and emotions around not only big questions of the universe but also the mundane, feels like an important part of my story and what kind of footprint I want to leave... I consider each song to be a photograph, capturing a moment in time."
“Calico”
by Thomas LaVine
“I make music because I feel like it is stitched into my being. It has always been there and will be there for as long as I am alive. I find most of my inspiration in the wild, and in moments of solitude and quiet. Making music gives me a sense of self-realization, and helps me to understand my own thoughts, struggles and what gives me joy… I find that using abstract ideas to convey my thoughts and emotions around not only big questions of the universe but also the mundane, feels like an important part of my story and what kind of footprint I want to leave... I consider each song to be a photograph, capturing a moment in time."
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomaslavinemusic/
Website: https://thomaslavine.com/
Website: https://thomaslavine.com/
Lyrics of “Calico” by Thomas LaVine
A house is not a home
Set apart in winter
Covered in the snow
That knows her like a sister
Lonely like a branch
Fallen from the longleaf
Laying on the ground
Cast away like nothing
I drove on a road
Of calico
Tired eyes
Sleep under the coat
Of calico
Lighthouse on the stone
Show me to the lakeside
Laying in your wake
Waiting for the sunrise
I drove on a road
Of calico
Tired eyes
Sleep under the coat
Of calico
And I made a mistake
I should've stayed a little longer that day
Out at the lake
[The lake
And I made a mistake
I should've stayed a little longer that day]
It's lost time
It's all fine
[Out at the lake]
I confide in the everwood
I drove on a road
Of calico
Tired eyes
Sleep under the coat
Of calico
“Meadows”
is another track from an upcoming five-song EP, “Everwood.” The imagery
of “Meadows” relates to the innocence of young love. The song is a vocals standout.
At the outset, there is an attractiveness to a slightly raspy description of
the setting. When the chorus arrives, so does purity and charm. “Meadows” enhances
the melodic beauty by employing harmony and a cello.
In talking about “Meadows,” Thomas LaVine said:
“Meadows is a song that I always envision in slow motion. It feels like a core memory too precious to let go. That's the feeling I had when writing it. I don't write many love songs (I guess in the traditional sense of what that usually means.), but this one really poured out of me in a way that felt really nice. It still holds a certain melancholy that I am not sure I'll ever shake from my song writing, especially since when I imagine listening to it without context, it sounds more like a song about heartache or perhaps even separation from someone you love. And maybe it kind of is - but not really. I met my wife when I was very young (16 years old), and we have been together since that time. We have literally grown up together, learned how to do life and focused our goals together. Things seem to have gotten a little more complicated with time. Not necessarily a bad thing, just different. We use our heads more than our hearts most of the time, especially now that we have two young children. This song really comes from the spirit of missing that go wherever, do whatever energy we had when we were teenagers in love. We literally had nothing to lose, and life seemed so incredibly open ended that it gave us a certain curiosity that only comes with a young and wild heart. All I cared about was loving her, and it is maybe the most carefree and present I have ever felt. There was a specific field that we would picnic in, and I very vividly remember the image of her sitting on the blanket, laughing wearing this cardigan that for some reason sticks out in my memory. It isn't my typical writing style for me to be so literal, but I just let this one come out that way because that's what it seemed like I was wanting from this song. An audio record almost of my thoughts on a carefree time that has passed in my life. This song represents just that to me: the beautiful nostalgia of young love.”
“Meadows” by Thomas LaVine
In talking about “Meadows,” Thomas LaVine said:
“Meadows is a song that I always envision in slow motion. It feels like a core memory too precious to let go. That's the feeling I had when writing it. I don't write many love songs (I guess in the traditional sense of what that usually means.), but this one really poured out of me in a way that felt really nice. It still holds a certain melancholy that I am not sure I'll ever shake from my song writing, especially since when I imagine listening to it without context, it sounds more like a song about heartache or perhaps even separation from someone you love. And maybe it kind of is - but not really. I met my wife when I was very young (16 years old), and we have been together since that time. We have literally grown up together, learned how to do life and focused our goals together. Things seem to have gotten a little more complicated with time. Not necessarily a bad thing, just different. We use our heads more than our hearts most of the time, especially now that we have two young children. This song really comes from the spirit of missing that go wherever, do whatever energy we had when we were teenagers in love. We literally had nothing to lose, and life seemed so incredibly open ended that it gave us a certain curiosity that only comes with a young and wild heart. All I cared about was loving her, and it is maybe the most carefree and present I have ever felt. There was a specific field that we would picnic in, and I very vividly remember the image of her sitting on the blanket, laughing wearing this cardigan that for some reason sticks out in my memory. It isn't my typical writing style for me to be so literal, but I just let this one come out that way because that's what it seemed like I was wanting from this song. An audio record almost of my thoughts on a carefree time that has passed in my life. This song represents just that to me: the beautiful nostalgia of young love.”
“Meadows” by Thomas LaVine
Lyrics of “Meadows”
by Thomas LeVine
In the meadow
Where we laid
We wished for stars
To show that day
Stayed together
hand in hand
Carved our names
Into the sand
So could you
Come back again
It’s still you
Stuck in my head
And I can still see your cardigan
Wishful thinking
Where are you?
We were young
Nothing to lose
The fields grew up
And we did too
Disappeared
Like morning dew
So could you
Come back again
It’s still you
Stuck in my head
And I can still see your cardigan
Golden meadows
Where we laid
I still think of you that day
"Everwood" by Thomas LaVine
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