This work comes to us from Derry, produced by the Irish folk duo Tessio. Written and composed by Jude McCandless and Callum Feeny, “Handle With Care” is a shining example of Irish folk music, from the intricate ornamentation in its compositions to the haunting harmonies of its choral breaks. Its lyrics portray a tragic love, implying either the sabotage of a genuine connection or the dissolution of something doomed from the start. The refrain initially portrays an undying loyalty to the singer’s love:
handle my name with care
I’ll meet you there (x2)
oh, my baby’s scared
just tell me where
I’ll meet you there
Only to circle back to a melancholy yet accepting reprise:
and handle your name with care
I’ll meet you there
I need you there
The minimalist instrumentation in “Handle With Care” makes the song’s composition shine. The acoustic guitar gracefully breezes through sixteenth-note runs, echoing harmonics linger throughout the climactic moments of the track, bringing to mind the beauty of old-style singing sessions. Altogether, tessio’s musical mastery produces a sentimental air that moves the heart to recall inevitable heartbreaks past and present.
This is, of course, to say nothing of tessio’s lyrics. At their strongest points, McCandless and Feeny’s evocative poetry manages the tightrope balance of telling much through just a thought-provoking little. The otherworldly beauty of our narrator’s love and the connection the pair forms glides off the tongue and sways the soul in performance:
it seems she dips up streams
she slips through screens
she knows what I mean, yeah
friends, they know this stuff
they know enough
they’ve been in love, too
As a result, the tragic turn of the song’s story almost feels as if it happens in the blink of an eye —all too appropriate to represent the sudden realization that, despite how much a relationship means to
you, there is nothing to be done to salvage it. The downfall begins subtly enough, only to plummet until the rock bottom of solemn acceptance is hit.
but she’s got friends as well
they buy and sell
they know themselves
take my word and say
just say you’ll stay
stay friends today
and keep your name instead
take what I can
yeah, I’ll take that
The repeated reference of names as possessions or invocations in this piece likely speaks to the mythologizing of the concept of a name: many a foe in the fable had been felled by the use of their true names against them, largely trolls, while the fae of folklore understand the power of a name so deeply that they seek to steal them away from the unsuspecting. The singer seems to understand the weight in invoking a name, as well, first offering his name to be kept and called whenever his love was in need before rescinding that offer before hearing her call could hurt him anymore. In both cases, however, the singer still urges his lost lover to handle both his name and her own with care and consideration of its power.
Paired with excellent use of pauses and manipulation of rhythm and ornamentation, tessio’s latest single tickles the senses with tragedy with a soft yet swinging dance rhythm that sooner provokes one to knowingly nod along rather than jump to their feet in spirited movement—and to enjoy the experience all the same. Thankfully, “Handle With Care” is available for streaming on Spotify; treat yourself with a little Derry air.
Written by Alexei Lee
