Music Review // Optacure "Stray"

https://open.spotify.com/track/1A0Drl5nokGcvzssfieSjM?si=23d5a89227d74473&nd=1 //

When "Stray" first begins it is the combination of vocals and an acoustic guitar.  This has two distinct vibes which combine to form one and they are a combination of the blissed out depression of Elliott Smith but also the pure pop of Jack Johnson.   It's not something I've really thought about a lot, but the idea of either Elliott Smith being just a little bit more mainstream sounding or Jack Johnson making music which doesn't feel like it's straight off of the radio does appeal to me and Optacure seems to have found that balance.

The song kicks in and remains somewhat acoustic in its sound but reminds me of a melodic pop punk band such as The Get Up Kids.   I'm sure everyone will hear their own influences but there is a certain sound here and it goes into a genre that I really enjoy.   This is also in part due to the fact that the lyrics both seem sad and uncertain.   One of the hooks in the chorus is simply the line "I don't know what to think" and it's bold of someone to state that when it feels like many of those who write lyrics want it down to an exact science.

As the song goes on it grows more haunting within the lyrics.  Lines such as "Love is near, but I struggle to feel / And I fear, that I never will" really capture how bleak life can feel at times.  We spend a lot of our lives (in our youth especially) thinking we've found love only for it to end and realize it wasn't love.   On some level, after going through that enough times, it is very easy to think that you might not know what love is, that you might never know and that you might never find it.  I've never really heard this type of topic discussed in song before but it is completely valid.

One of the tough things about love is that it can often times be like music.  Some bands we listened to in our youth we don't listen to as much when we're older.  But then you have to think about those bands, and those albums, that you listened to when you were younger, that you discovered on your own, and how they've stuck with you since.  Those are the types of people you will eventually find and love.  And hopefully this song by Optacure can help you see that and hopefully this song stays with you for a long while.