The singer / songwriter is an art form that has assumed great popularity in the last decade, but there are not many artist who are able to take an acoustic guitar and their own voice and consistently produce high quality music that grows, develops and evolves with every new song. Nor are they able to evolve their music and retain those all so key elements that make their music unique and powerful. Calum Baird is someone who fits into this small crowd of musician who can constantly develop their sound, but also retain their authenticity and unique character. His latest single ‘Stranger Times Have Come and Gone’ is testament to this and the Elevate team have been given the pleasure of listening to and reviewing this song.
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If you are familiar with Calum Baird’s work, you will know that country, folk and traditional acoustic vibes sit at the heart of his work. Songs from his album 'No Right Turn' embody excellent acoustic vibes, with a hint of Bob Dylan and Neil Young floating over the top; his critically acclaimed ‘Modern Man’ takes elements from folk, country and touch of acoustic pop; and his latest E.P. ‘A View from the Notebooks’ embodies all the aforementioned characteristics along with elements of music production (such as instrumentals and harmonies) that have not been seen extensively in his previous work. The new single picks up right where 'A View from the Notebooks' stopped and delves deeper into the options that dynamic effects and plug ins can offer. It is a song that sits deep in a reverb space, but one that utilises this space to perfection.
The influence of deep reverb and and presence effects are heard on both the guitar and Calum's vocals at the start of this song. These effects help to create a deeper, darker and more eerie piece of work than we have experienced in Calum's music. Underneath the reverb and presence sits the familiar sound of Calum's guitar but it feels like it is distant, perhaps like the stranger things that have come and gone. This structure gives the song a mood of contemplation; the exact feeling and atmosphere you would experience if you were alone with your thoughts, trying to understand the great questions of life.
If you are familiar with Calum's work you will know that retrospect and reflection are continuous themes in his music and the influx of this big room feel adds an interesting dimension to looking at these topics.
We love the feeling created in this song and it allows Calum's graceful tones to be accentuated accentuated and the occasional bass note to power through. This effect seems to add space, but also generate so much feeling at the same time.
The big reverb and presence laced across the song also creates a gap for something we really enjoyed, and that is the overlying guitar melody. We hear this for the first time around 1 minute 45 second mark and while this gives the song a feeling of being more full, we actually think it makes the overall atmosphere more haunting. The melody is heard very briefly before it disappears and becomes a memory like those times that have come and gone. The melody, however, leaves a lasting impression because the notes resonate (almost on the verge of echoing) in the space created throughout the song.
Furthermore, the melody does not try to do anything other than float. The tempo is slow and it works perfectly with the general feeling and only adds to the single's excellent character.
We also cannot ignore the instrumental at the end of this piece. Calum's work does not incorporate much in the way of instrumental guitar pieces (the harmonica yes, which we of course love), but no so much guitar. This instrumental follows similar lines to the melody and works perfectly to bring this song to it's close. It is soft and carries the music and feeling off as the song fades.
Another thing we love about this song, and all Calum's songs to be honest, is the lyrics. The lyrics are poetic and embrace many a metaphor such as 'Caught in the vice of a spiders web'. Sometimes Calum's metaphors can be ambiguous, but that is all the more reason to listen to his songs attentively. No matter how obtuse they seem, each word is clearly thought out and as far as we can tell, delivered with perfection. Furthermore, this song really does feel like it the voice of the listener speaking out, rather than Calum's voice. We think the effects adhered to above help create this feeling, but we cannot deny that Calum's vocal tone is also key to the successful encaptivating nature this song has.
'Stranger Things Have Come and Gone' is an excellent feature from Calum's impressive back catalogue of songs. It fuses elements not seen before in his songs and he implements these in a way that creates a song with meaning, depth and a lasting presence. The inclusions of these elements may be down to Calum's adaptation to the devastating effect COVID 19 has had on the live music industry (which Calum was very much ingratiated with) as a way of ensuring he continues to produce relevant music. It is also possible that it is a product of simple experimentation. Either way, we think any fan of acoustic guitars, folk and story telling will love for this song (and we must say that we love it too). It truly is a product filled with the nuances we have come to expect from Calum Baird's music, but it is flavoured with something new and interesting too. Go and listen to the enjoy the 'Stranger Things' that 'Have Come and Gone'.
December 2020 was a month of many things but one of the highlights was undoubtedly the latest E.P. from Calum Baird: 'A View From the Notebooks'. Make sure you check out this brilliant E.P. that includes three excellent songs before leaving this page. The What's Happenin' Music Team also had the privilege of interviewing Calum in their last podcast episode so go and check that out!
Calum Baird is a Scottish singer-songwriter who brings a progressive folk and country character to his songs. His music is not only some of the best in the United Kingdom, but some of the best music, period! He is an active part of the Edinburgh scene, but has played across Europe and has worked with a plethora of internationally recognised artists and supported a handful of prominent causes on a national scale.
Calum's music can be explored on all your usual audio platforms and if you are interested, Calum also runs a podcast and has been experimenting with painting. He uses these avenues to express his experiences and views of the world. We really love his work, have been educated through his podcasts and are impressed with his recent artwork. Go and check him out on the links below.
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