Historical unrest always leave a musical legacy: The rise of protest songs in the 70s, the advent of souls and blues through slave songs and spirituals, and the counter-culture of hip-hop and jazz in the 90s and 00s. At the start of the 2020 pandemic, many of those self-isolating turned to music. On a surface level, being inside all day lends itself well to song-writing, but without gigs or venues or shows, the way we interact with music changes. The process of making and consuming, how we remember and interact with music as a performer and audience, has changed. All of this is to say, The Deep Blue shows an understanding with their song “Cotton White Linen”.
The song is a very sparse one, we hear only vocals and an acoustic guitar and layered vocals throughout the song. Something about a very simple soundscape lends itself to the thematic center of the song: it’s only you, your family, and what you have in your living room. The guitar is pleasant and soft, but it never really feels like the center of “Cotton White Linen”. That would fall to the vocals, and the way each vocalist harmonizes with one another to create a beautiful progression in each verse. With one vocalist to lead in, each vocalist slips in under gentle acoustic strums to create these ethereal, light, and very moving vocal performances. This is a technique that The Deep Blue has made a cornerstone of their sound, and something about how lonely the circumstances around “Cotton White Linen” and the way the 4-part band comes together is hopeful and beautiful. While the lyrics certainly add to this unsure but hopeful tone, it’s the vocal composition that absolutely sells this piece.
Through 2020, indie musicians found themselves in a scary place. Without venues, how do you continue to get yourself known? Many turned to solo performances in their own house, through recording and live streaming to continue to make music in this unsure time. The Deep Blue taps into this feeling, into this new style of making music: Grabbing a guitar to create a simple melody and enjoying the pleasures of harmonizing with another singer, and making simple and heartfelt music in your living room. The focus on something everyday: how many days will we spend with / our faces pressed up against the window / tangled in cotton white linen.
Watching the outside in a linen robe, or cuddling with a loved one in linen sheets. The warmness of the vocals can lead to many interpretations: all gentle and lonely and hopeful, despite the circumstances.
