In an era of relentless self-promotion, Halfway Quaker (aka Joel Bernstein) seems to be following a different path. Apart from a handful of IG posts and a bio that simply says “Washington, DC,” there’s not much to go on – apart from the music itself, of course. Given the subject matter of his new single, this might turn out to be the perfect plan.
‘Let Us Fly’ is an emotional, dreamy indie-rock track about preserving hope and wonder in a cynical world where life is medicated by screens.
From the first moment, this feels human, acoustic, imperfect. The beat almost feels like it’s being held back, restrained by the song’s fragility.
Joel’s voice has an intense, velvety tone. Subtle backing vox from Astrid Lundberg adds a nice contrast.
The vocal is fragile in places, but bursting with character.
When an electric piano creeps in, it warms the track like the evening sun. An electric guitar is used sparingly, but is perfectly placed.
“Did you spend your day sitting hunched over, slathered in blue light
And did you hear the desperate nagging that something doesn’t feel right
Do you think you know what you said
And do you really know whose wisdom is crawling around your head”
The production is wonderfully tactile. It has a home-made, lo-fi quality that feels really authentic and honest.
Everything in this track feels minimalistic – there’s not an ounce of fat, and this lets the melody and lyrics really shine through. I loved the main motif – so catchy and tinged with sadness:
“Could we let the kids believe
There’s still magic underneath the blue sky
And I don’t see why we should let it die”
‘Let Us Fly’ is only the 5th single from Halfway Quaker, and the 2nd that I have reviewed for Start-Track (see here). I closed that review with the line “it feels like we’ve spent some time with an old friend.” That’s how this music makes you feel. Well, it’s been great to see you again, old friend!
Written by Grubby
