Music Review // Jon and Roy "Maywell"

 

Listening to this song by Jon and Roy has a calm about the tempo of it.   It begins with guitar notes- which continue throughout the song but different notes at times- and then the percussion, especially that snare drum rattle, come in and add to the pace.  While the pace picks up during the chorus, it doesn't pick up too fast and you just feel a sense of peace during both this music and the lyrics of it all.  

During the lyrics of this song, you will notice that this is first a story about going up a mountain.  The lyrics "Wasting not a mode of time / Moving till I couldn't climb" feel the most powerful in ways, as they demonstrate that idea that even when things seem toughest you have to keep going.   My favorite lines in this song say "And it goes, stronger than we know / And it flows, after and before / And all we can do is open doors / And know there's love inside it all".  This feels like a good way to have a curious mind but also know you'll be met by love.

The second half of this song does take a turn, into the "icy ground" and "Angry faces watching mine".   As this is paired with the previous part talking about how we will find love inside, I think it's just that idea of hoping that you can go out on a limb (or a mountain) and take a chance, will you will hopefully be met with in a positive way.    I'm sure someone out there can read something into it, but to me, it feels like we should just keep going, just keep doing what we must, and if someone doesn't like it, there will eventually be someone who does.

Between modern artists such as Mumford & Sons and Iron & Wine, Jon and Roy have a sort of folk-tale way about telling their story as well.  It's like taking that idea of an acoustic folk sound, such as John Denver, but turning it more electric and closer to Neil Young.  This song just also feels like a Wes Anderson film in a way I cannot explain.  But it is beautiful and if you dive in deep enough you can find the point which it is making if only for you to see.