Monday, February 4, 2019

“Here I Come” by Visual Eyes – A Song Feature

     In cinema, when an actor’s strengths are near ideal for playing a specific character, reviewers will use the expression “Born to play the role.” Well, Visual Eyes were born to play “Here I Come.” They excel in executing every nuance of the song, both vocally and instrumentally. Moreover, the attention to detail shows they are fully invested in the song. The level of investment is apparent before the completion of the intro, which sets the stage for a track within a seldom-encountered “Psychedelic Desert Rock” genre. Those early seconds include the sound of a crow and a wind instrument, both of which fit comfortably within the genre.

     Then, raspy and anguished vocals enter. The lyrics are pasted within this post, but the communication within “Here I Come” is accomplished less by words than by changes in vocal characteristics involving various combinations of shifts in inflection, cadence and passion. Thus, the first line includes the song’s title, with the word “come” being stretched and guttural. Our favorite example arrives at 1:39, when the lyric, “Yea, I've come to take you home now,” is followed with the emphatic statement, “Ain't nobody stopping me!” 

     The instruments in "Here I Come" are equally important and well-conceived. One guitar repeats a simple-yet-attractive hook almost throughout the song, establishing a melodic stability. On the other hand, at 1:10, a Spanish-style guitar seems to go rogue, other than a few notes that match the vocals. Forty seconds later, it sounds as though the percussion uses large, inexpensive metal objects. It may merely be a “distanced” cowbell, but the effect reinforces the Psychedelic Desert Rock vibe.

     The members of Visual Eyes elect to take a low profile, at least for now. They are based in Los Angeles and identify themselves as:
  The Mountain Lion - Lead Vocals
  The Wolf - guitars, Native American flute, background vocals, producer
  The Hawk - bass, keys, background vocals, producer
  The Bear - drums

     Quoting content from Visual Eyes:
  “Our debut album ‘Vibrations’ is now available on all platforms. This album is the culmination of a lifetime of practice that no one ever sees. We journeyed to the edge of the cosmos to bring you this album, a collection of sonic vibrations channeled from the far reaches of outerspace, an embodiment of our hearts and souls in their purest form. This album has always existed, it just took us all these years to find it. Today is the day we share it with you in the hopes that we might inspire you to keep searching for that thing, that one thing worth dedicating your life to, worth sacrificing everything for. Your true north. There’s a fire in all of us, but you have to work to find it. Keep digging, keep searching, find your fire. Then take it and run.”

         “Here I Come” by Visual Eyes


Lyrics of “Here I Come” by Visual Eyes
Here I come riding on the sun
Holding dead beats down
Pounding ground beneath my feet

Look at my face
A dirty little place
Holding back the blind
But soon they will see

Oh, I've come to take you home now
Come on be free
Yea, I've come to take you home now
Ain't nobody stopping me

Bars on the brick
The glass looks thick
But I'm bringin' my boom to the room
They keep you in

The greater the guard
The faster I charge
Let loose the noose
'Cause you know that I ain't far

Oh, I've come to take you home now
Come on be free
Yea, I've come to take you home now
Ain't nobody stopping me

Climbin' up the back wall
Movin' through the grooves
As I hear your call

All the stories stacked tall
But I'm in like the wind
Lift you up
It's OK to fall

Slip outside
Like a ghost
We float
Today's the day
You've been waiting for

Oh, I've come to take you home now
Come on be free
Yea!
Yea, I've come to take you home now
Ain't nobody stopping me

Ain't nobody
Ain't nobody stopping me



     “Smoke Signals” by Visual Eyes


1 comment: