Dolce on Beauty and Grace

There comes a time in our life when we are hit with a feeling that overwhelms our entire being. We stop. We listen. We hear it. If at one time you were not passionate, you are now. And if you were passionate, you are more so now. It is that time in our life when we hear music so beautiful, so graceful in melody and tone, you cannot help but.... stop and stare.

In my attempt to find new music late summer of 2007, I ran into an artist whose popularity blossomed by a prominent R&B/hip-hop/pop producer. It was the producer who took the dibs on the song as everyone thought it was THAT producer who wrote the song. Boy were they wrong. Production is one thing. Singing and writing is another. And all credit goes squarely to the band with partial credit to the producer who brought it out into the public. Though I firmly believe, had the producer not pushed the song on his album or the radio, this band would definitely have pushed themselves into popularity all on their own, with as much force and recognition they currently have gained.

I listened to the debut album from start to finish for days and days, turning into weeks and into months. Most often when I find a new artist, I spin the music for a few weeks and then feel the need for something fresh in my ears. This album was different. I take into consideration where my mind was and my life had taken me as I recall first hearing the tunes. I was in a state of complication. The past years' challenges had finally caught up with me and I felt nothing but scatter-brained. Not to mention my heart was breaking as I knew some people special to me were leaving. As each one of the songs played, all 13 of them, I had a feeling overwhelm me for each. I could not believe an artist could evoke so much emotion song after song. I'm more familiar with an album that has 2, maybe 3, songs that capture such an emotion. But this album was different, it had soul.

I had an opportunity to see the band live and I did not hesitate to go. My heart was leaping as the opening band finished and the roadies prepared the stage for the headliner. The opening notes played a song not debuted on the album (but beautiful nonetheless) and my breath caught as he walked on stage. I know rockstar crushes - I have had them before. KG was my first but his cockiness on stage (since 1996!) always put a bitter distaste in my mouth. And KG wrote really awesome music, but it lacked beauty and grace. It was more rough and complicated. So as my eyes watched him cross the stage and take a seat at the piano, I wanted only to tell him he was amazing, his band was amazing, and nothing could surpass it (this definitely was not a rockstar crush, it was adoration).

He played a slow song, somewhat acoustic, that made tears form in my eyes, and for many reasons. His voice was so powerful - definitely a band that is better live than their album (a rarity in these modern times) - and the pitch, tone and quality was perfect. And as he sang it made me think of a person in my life who lifted my spirits, broke me down, and never let the game truly end. Over the seas is where it was - and the song broke me down just a little bit more.

Even spinning the disk now I can just sit back and listen. Lyrics like "I'll stay with apathy im blind but I can see the tyrant to the bone" just makes my mind spin! To think that someone could sit down and have such powerful words come through. And the song matched the words with power and piano - something I have only found a few bands to successfully accomplish.

So beauty and grace are found within this band. The singer is my everything. If I could sit down and tell my other half to listen to the music.... because they would hear the feelings I can barely speak. I have wondered how it would be, to lay on the grass staring up at the stars, this music in my ears, and my other half next to me, so quiet but smiling with understanding.

I can only continue to stop and stare, and dream out loud. To embrace the feeling of being ashamed and needing you so.... but being the one who always waits. And to walk away from this moment, after listening to this phenomenal work of art, knowing and understanding... the fight for you is all I've ever known.



Currently Spinning: OneRepublic - Dreaming Out Loud (Ryan Tedder is a GOD!)