flashback friday - settling

so, around the time that lilith fair was still relevant, i got into a canadian singer-songwriter by the name of tara maclean. she had a sweet voice quite similar to the girls making folk headlines at the time - kate bush, tori amos and sarah mclachlan (which makes sense, since tara was also discovered/signed with nettwerk records) and an easy-going sound that charmed and lulled listeners in.



passenger, tara's second full length album, was something i listened to extensively when it came out. it was beautiful in a gentle way - there are no harsh sounds found within, no jarring distortions or peppy songs that can hype you up. instead, it's mellow melodies serve as a blanket and a cup of tea.

i very nearly picked the superb dry land to feature today, a song that has stood the test of time on my ipod. but after writing about it, i ended up deleting the post and decided to highlight settling instead. the reason is simple: settling is the sort of song that, due to it's quiet honesty, can become inherently relatable to any listener. it's, as many songs are, about a break-up: are the feelings the singer has real, or are they memories of what once was? are the complex and messy remnants left behind afterwards generating genuine questions about who s/he really is, or are they merely bits of angst settling like dust after a storm?

of course, it's subjective to all. but what i really liked about this song is the imagery it evokes, the feelings it inspires. tara had a way of capturing something so devastating and making it beautiful.

am i real, am i true?
am i borrowed, am i blue?
is it just the dust of leaving you
settling?

am i fair, am i strong?
when i'm there, do i belong?
is it only skin i touch when i reach for you?

the leaves, they fall
they go so far sometimes
do i blame the wind
or the tree that let it go
or do i wake goodbye?
settling

do i stay and do i fight?
is it wrong when nothing's right?
or is it just the closet light
i leave on for you

the leaves they fall
they go so far sometimes
do i blame the wind
or the tree that let it go
or do i wave goodbye?
settling

so many times i've needed you to be strong for me
but you bend beneath the slightest breeze
you have no leaves
no leaves
no leaves

settling

am i real, am i true?
do i stay and do i fight?
is it just the closet light?
is it only skin i tough
or is it just the dust
settling...

(mp3) settling by tara maclean

here is a little special of tara for canadian tv - it features a brief bio and a very lovely live version of settling:



buy passenger, the album settlingis off of, HERE.