“Idaho” by Down Like Silver, Monday, November 25, 2024
Down Like Silver is a folk duo composed of Peter Bradley Adams and Caitlin Canty. The duo released a self-titled EP in 2011 and has released singles sporadically since then. Their latest single, “First Light,” was released in 2022. While Down Like Silver has a limited released discography, the two strong singer-songwriters, Adams and Canty, both have vibrant solo careers. The duo performs much of their songs “co-singing,” or singing together simultaneously rather than taking different parts of the song. Besides beautiful two-part harmony, the group’s country-twinged instrumental parts only enhance the wistful lyrics of the group’s songs. It might be a short trip into Down Like Silver’s discography, like driving through the panhandle of “Idaho,” but it’s a scenic trip.
HARD TIMES KNOCKING AT OUR DOOR AGAIN. “Idaho” is one of the six songs on Down with Silver’s debut EP. The song was featured on NoiseTrade’s 25 Love Songs. Caitlin Canty leads the slow song and Peter Bradley Adams adds harmony as the song goes on. The subdued piano and guitar tones along with the title of the song create a frosty feeling, but Canty’s voice gives the song a warm tone, almost like the contrast of the cold floor on a November morning standing between you and a hot shower and a warm bed tempting you to cancel your plans. The lyrics paint an emotional distance between the speaker and the subject. The potato-producing state is a symbol of that emotional distance. While it’s part of the 48 contiguous states, the state’s sparse population and distance from more populated states make a comparison to loneliness in a relationship with an emotionally distant partner. Before the migration of conservatives leaving blue states, Idaho was known for its low population density. Perhaps with miles to the neighbor’s house, being alone in Idaho with a loved one may have made the couple feel close. But now something has happened between the speaker and the subject, and she wants to get back to a time when the relationship was good. They’ve left The Gem State, perhaps out of hope for something better. But better was in Idaho.
HOW LONG CAN ONE HEARTBEAT SO CONFUSED? Nostalgia is a fickle friend. When we’re young, we want the adventures of the people we hear about in stories or on TV. I wanted to travel when I was a kid after hearing missionary stories and playing Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Then when we get older, we long for the “good old days,” the family, friends, foods, seasons, holidays. But were the good days really good? We tend to forget the negative moments and idealize the good ones. I tend to not remember the fear my parents had about being able to feed three kids. I don’t remember being made fun of for hand-me-down clothes. I remember some of the bad meals, but the taste is faint. As an adult, I don’t buy food that I know I won’t like unless it’s super healthy and I feel a deficiency if I don’t eat it. Sometimes, I’ll eat something I don’t like because I paid money for it. Do we want to go back? Do we want to go back to a partner who has withdrawn? Were there signs in Idaho? Is there a way back or is the past best left in the past?
Comments
Post a Comment