Flying onto our radar this week is ‘The Crane’, a soaring and graceful indie-rock single from Massachusetts-based artist Jefferson Pitcher. Lifted from his bold new album, The Bellows, this track is an impressive representation of this artist’s penchant for escapist anthems. From the very first seconds, this track takes flight with a constellation of reverberated strings, head-bopping bass and foot-tapping percussion. Joining this kinetic soundscape is Pitcher‘s smooth, reassuring and slightly ragged vocals; it’s an inviting blend between The National’s Matt Berninger, The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson and Arcade Fire’s Win Butler.
As the track progresses, the stirring narrative of the beauty of being human, with its terrifying and precious qualities, begins to emerge. There are so many lines that reach out to the listener, although one of our favourite is “With your feet gone, will you walk the bracken or the gentle pines? How will you find me now? Your fingers worn, how will you read my face?” This shatteringly relatable image of age, mortality and enduring love, is matched by the passionate uplift of guitars.
Pitcher‘s repeated questioning relays his inquisitive nature that seems so attuned to the textural expansiveness and intuitive tempo changes that define this track. By the time you reach the end of those adventurous four minutes, there’s a sense of having put the world to rights. Pitcher shares a solemn farewell, “goodbye my friend,” over twinkling keys and steady guitar struts that gently fade away into the night.
Be sure to mark 11th April on your calendar for the release of The Bellows LP.
You can also listen to ‘The Crane’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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