Music Review // Paula Standing "Hiding out in Tuscany"

"Hiding out in Tuscany" is a song which everyone should really listen to at least once in their life and really listen to the message of it.   Through soft strums and what feels like an accordion but likely isn't (The song can remind me of Billy Joel in that way) this is certainly easy on the ears.   The sound is one which you would hear on mainstream radio.   But if anything is holding this song back from being on the radio it is that the lyrics are too deep and meaningful.

Right away you'll hear one of my favorite lines in this song: "Sometimes the urge for going means you should"  The world is a big place and I'm always fascinated just going to different parts of the United States and seeing how different they are- and that's just one country!  So taking that trip you've always wanted to take to Paris or Spain might not be such a bad idea.  Staying in one country and not traveling feels like watching the same television station when you have hundreds to choose from.

Part of this music video exists within the studio, with Paula Standing singing the song, and the rest exists outside in the world.   There are scenes at the beach and just the general idea of being outside, much like a travel agent might present to you to get you to take a trip.   This video has a great way of showcasing what you can do if you travel but also that contrast between being in the studio and being outside can either be about you staying home personally or just the fact that the way musicians travel is by touring, so it works on multiple levels.

Ever since the global pandemic hit in 2020 I feel like we've been living two lives: one before the pandemic and one after the pandemic.  Had this song been released pre-pandemic it would still have a lot of importance in the message of getting out there and living your best life.  But hearing it after the pandemic (which is not over, but we are slowly coming out of it) makes it feel even more necessary because once it is safe to do so it feels like we are even more motivated now to travel the world.