Sadly experiencing loss is a part of most of our lives. It’s one of the biggest experiences and hardest struggles to go through in life, but it’s something that we aren’t alone in as we all face it. It takes time and effort to move through, and for most people it doesn’t just go away. Stephen James Orr, Gisun and Beth Silver hit this tone just right with their collaborative single ‘Wake Up,’ with all the right instrumentation to make it hit. It’s poetic, it’s well written musically, and it truly hits an experience that so many of us can relate to.
‘Wake Up’ has such a beautiful indie-folk sound. The acoustic guitar riffs and strumming are so nice and calming, and Gisun brings a lot to the table with her smooth, soft and pretty held-out vocals. These vocals add a perfect basis for the instrumentation to dance around. The cello brings a lot of color and beauty to the table and really pulls everything together. It’s an extremely well-played song, and it feels like the perfect soundtrack for the beginning of Autumn. There’s something just right about the somber but comforting tone in the lyricism that matches perfectly with the lyrical themes of processing the death of a loved one
There’s such a poetic tone to the lyrics in ‘Wake Up.’ An overarching theme that can be read in it is the loss of a loved one. There’s such a longing encapsulated in it that intertwines with the way the vocal notes are held. “It’s been a few years now / Since you’ve gone away / But you’re forever / On my mind till the sunrise,” the lyrics state. It’s mainly about the process of mourning a loved one’s death, but the lyrics are open to interpretation through the listener’s own eyes. This tone of loss really adds an emotional hit to some of the lyrics such as, “It’s been a few years now / Since you’ve gone away / But you’re forever / On my mind till the sunrise.” There’s so much truth encapsulated in this lyricism, and it packs such an emotional hit.
‘Wake Up’ is a musical collaboration between guitarist Stephen James Orr, singer Gisun, and Cellist Beth Silver. Stephen James Orr is a Toronto-based musician, songwriter, and producer with roots mainly in soul and indie rock, and Gisun is a multicultural Canadian artist with roots in soul and R&B. Beth Silver is a Toronto-based freelance cellist who’s known for her eclectic and colorful range that allows her to make many different types of music. These musicians came together to knock this track out of the park, and it’s exciting to think about where they’ll all go next.
Written by Sage Plapp
