American alternative rock musician and songwriter Lou Barlow revealed a taste of his upcoming solo record Reason To Live with single “Love Intervene.” The new project follows 2015’s Brace The Wave, Barlow’s last full length solo effort.
The new single is delicate, pensive and impassioned. There is a riveting acoustic progression that hops along in jaunty contrast to Barlow’s folksy vocal texture. The lyrics are insightful, focusing on colorful imagery and catchy chorus lines. There is a subtle complexity to the song structure that becomes more evident in the latter half of the tune. The intricate guitar strokes in the break build up a perfect amount of tension that is then released in a hopeful ending.
“I shy away from declarations, life is too complicated,” says Barlow of the song, “but, it’s hard to argue with the power of love. I wrote this song a few years ago and recorded it a few times. I tried it as solo acoustic song and sang it on a few short tours I did, playing backyards and living rooms in the U.S. It seemed to go over well, or, maybe I just like singing it. I tried it with a band too. I’d like to say that this Reason To Live version is the definitive recording of the song but, honestly, I’d like to hear someone else take it to new heights. The sentiment seems almost out of my range sometimes. Believing in love is like that, it can always be bigger but remain so elusive.”
For more on Lou Barlow, check him out alongside Dale Crover and No Joy in a special holiday livestream from last year.
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