Michael Cormier-O’Leary just released his latest EP, Proof Enough, on February 28, and it’s full of more introspective and thoughtful indie folk jams from the Philly songwriter.
“Del” is one of six tracks on the record about familial anxieties: Following the path family members laid before us in their wake, rebelling, forgetting them in search of a new identity, remembering the old roots later on. Cormier-O’Leary wrote “Del” inspired by a memory from his father; on it, he sings of seeking empathy for the generations that came before him.
“Silence means safety from all the harmful words he could say,” Cormier-O’Leary sings, expressing the strain he feels being unable to talk with his father, and hoping he might one day understand the feelings in his father’s heart and see if they’re the same as his. These tender lyrics over a sparkling acoustic arrangement squeeze at the heartstrings.
Cormier-O’Leary wrote “Del” as the first track for Proof Enough back in 2022, just after getting married and not yet becoming a father himself. The other songs on the new EP come from a deep examination of the heart as the songwriter passes through time, moving on to make room for the next generation, and wondering what role he will take and what words he will say when that happens.
Take a listen to “Del” below, and follow Michael Cormier-O’Leary on the socials to keep up with his music and news.
Written by Will Sisskind
