A gripping song about the impact of isolation, “The Rower” is an enveloping showcase in songwriting and haunting momentum from David Hokanson. Chilly vocals complement piano-driven haunts; “creatures are nowhere near, yet they stay on mind at all,” captures that aforementioned sense of isolation, swelling gorgeously as twangy guitars and percussive ruminations bolster the soundscape.
“Consciously drifting from shore,” the vocals let out thereafter, artfully conveying emotions of feeling adrift amidst haunting piano tones; these expand into ghostly vocal maneuvers and a final minute that proves especially moving.
“I wanted to make a song about isolation and hiding from the world thinking it will help me, or I’ll find the answers that way,” Hokanson says. “To do so I fought my instincts and collaborated with other artists on the song and used very little masking effects such as reverbs and delays in attempt to be raw and vulnerable.”
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
