Taken
in its entirety, “Friend of Mine” carries an elegance and beauty that draws a listener
into the debut release from Tree & the Sea. And there are impactful moments,
notably the entrance of the emotion-amplifying cello 40 seconds into the track.
Still, it’s the ever-unfolding sequence of subtleties that separates “Friend of Mine” from other engaging songs.
At the
start, gently played guitar accompanies vocals that represent one side of a telephone conversation. There
is a courteous greeting from the called individual, followed by a polite excuse
as to why the conversation must be short – “Sorry, but I have to go. I
should have been on the road long ago.” After the cello-driven bridge, the
courtesy drops away and the relationship is fully exposed. The caller is an “ex”
and the called party is not interested in revisiting the past. The most poetic
verse is subject to interpretation, which is true of almost all intriguing
lyrics:
Tree
& the Sea is primarily the husband-and-wife team Faisal and Emily Abid. Emily’s
presence grows as “Friend of Mine” progresses. The highlight in harmonization begins
around 1:42. But it’s the lyrical layering after 2:07 that is most captivating. The
voices don't fully reunite for the final poignant line, “I’m just fine without you.”
The website
of Tree & the Sea credits Brad Goff for contributing guitar during “Friend
of Mine.” The bio of the band is interesting:
“Faisal met Emily when he auditioned for an a cappella group that she had co-founded in college (the Dynamics). 17 years later, they've continued to play music together (at home as well as around the Boston area) while raising two wonderful kids (13 and 4), two puppies, three cats and 5 chickens. Most recently, they're in the process of recording and releasing several original songs as well as interesting covers of a variety of songs.”
“Friend
of Mine” by Tree & the Sea
You’re just the smell of a cigarette,
And every perfect sunset that burns
As red as the first flowers in May
Drunk off the April rains
“Faisal met Emily when he auditioned for an a cappella group that she had co-founded in college (the Dynamics). 17 years later, they've continued to play music together (at home as well as around the Boston area) while raising two wonderful kids (13 and 4), two puppies, three cats and 5 chickens. Most recently, they're in the process of recording and releasing several original songs as well as interesting covers of a variety of songs.”
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treeandseamusic/
Website: https://treeandseamusic.com/
Website: https://treeandseamusic.com/
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