"If The World Falls To Pieces", by Young Summer, feels on one had surreal in tone, a step through a broken dream but, but on the other hand, feels absolutely gut wrenchingly real, bitter and sweet... a step through a broken dream. Young Summer is the musical moniker of Nashville, by way of DC, artist Bobbie Allen. Her vocal persona here is gorgeous in the way it embraces the emotional weight of her words and the stunning sound of the keys mirror Allen's vocal aesthetic. Both are deeply resonant, husky, with distortion around the edges that give the song a patina of pain and a dense dreamy "through the cracked looking glass" atmosphere and... AND you cannot help but feel this song within this year's seemingly unrelenting fall from grace during a pandemic and social upheaval, political revolution and loss of so many notable luminaries in all walks of life, at least, I cannot. They streamed over the song in a slow motion visual collage along with images of social evolution, revolution, distrust, decay and uncertainty creating a deeply disturbing and moving picture. The maudlin quality, embraced with such sad beauty made me think of Gary Jules and Michael Andrews amazing cover of Tears for Fears' "Mad World" a bit although the well of emotions here feel more inward, more personal in some ways.
Of the song Allen shares:
"'If The World Falls To Pieces' is maybe my favorite song I've ever written. It's a song that I did not want, in any way, to sound defeatist but I did want it to articulate exactly how the last four years have felt, that every day the world's end feels like it’s burning a mile from our front doors and is fast approaching. And while the song articulates that it is also a hopeful love song as the narrator chooses to focus on what is left instead of what is gone. It's a love song but not necessarily a romantic love it could be for a partner, but also for a friend or family member."
I have to admit that this is my first introduction to Young Summer and it is a high bar as they say. "If The World Falls To Pieces" also feels timeless, a touchstone and totally cinematic. It could of been penned in the 40's or anytime since. Simply beautiful, it feels like a broken lullaby about hurt, resilience and love.
-Robb Donker Curtius
Of the song Allen shares:
"'If The World Falls To Pieces' is maybe my favorite song I've ever written. It's a song that I did not want, in any way, to sound defeatist but I did want it to articulate exactly how the last four years have felt, that every day the world's end feels like it’s burning a mile from our front doors and is fast approaching. And while the song articulates that it is also a hopeful love song as the narrator chooses to focus on what is left instead of what is gone. It's a love song but not necessarily a romantic love it could be for a partner, but also for a friend or family member."
I have to admit that this is my first introduction to Young Summer and it is a high bar as they say. "If The World Falls To Pieces" also feels timeless, a touchstone and totally cinematic. It could of been penned in the 40's or anytime since. Simply beautiful, it feels like a broken lullaby about hurt, resilience and love.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
Young Summer (Bobbie Allen) today returns with her new single "If The World Falls To Pieces." It's her first release of 2020, and the song comes after a wellspring of interest following a TV show placement and a subsequent fan's TikTok video covering the track that went on to garner over a million views.
The Nashville-via-DC artist first gained acclaim for her delicately crafted music with her 2013 debut EP "Fever Dream," and with "If The World Falls To Pieces," Allen continues to prove she has a penchant for writing lyrically rousing songs built around quiet intensity.
"If The World Falls To Pieces" is luminous in its sparse composition. Every word lingers in a hazy swirl of synths as Allen sings, "at least I'll be with you," contemplating the end of everything.
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