When people joke about music being the only therapist they need, I sometimes wonder if they’re joking or if they really mean it. Because, in truth, music can be a cathartic and emotionally rewarding experience. Whether or not it is actually a replacement for a therapist, I don’t think I’m qualified to speak on, but I’m all for using music as one of your outlets.
For Caoilfhionn Rose, this is definitely the case. Speaking about her upcoming album Truly, she reveals that “This record marks a difficult time of my life and writing it helped get me through that. I am really grateful to have music as an outlet.” Rose spent a few weeks in 2019 in the hospital, a challenging period of her life but one that ultimately seems to have proved fruitful.
“Fireflies” is the latest single from the album, which drops April 9th. This psychedelic-rock song focuses on atmospheric sensations as much as it does on Rose’s vocal performance. “Finally feeling on track / Though I know there’s room for change,” she reflects as the song begins. “I’ve come to realize that / Life is not a fair game.” This kind of a statement might sound like a fundamentally cynical worldview, but she soon makes her stance clear: “Free from all the chaos / Is how you choose to dream / Free from your past / Time is always healing.” Yes, she admits that the world isn’t always fair; but maybe it’s less productive to deny it. Accepting the reality and resolving within yourself to make positive changes as time heals may be the more constructive approach to take.
Rose’s voice is hypnotic and enchanting, adding an additional layer of allure to the track. Throughout the song, it rises and falls, comforts and prods, and rushes and lingers. Like crashing waves, her drifting voice is paired perfectly with the instrumentation as she delivers a message of soothing calmness. “Though there may be dark clouds,” she sings, “the sun will always come.”
The Manchester-based singer-songwriter Caoilfhionn Rose demonstrates true artistry and talent in her new single, “Fireflies.” In this track, she fuses psychedelic rock, folk, and even jazz in a song that reminds the listener that everything will be okay in the end. And at the end of the day, isn’t music’s ability to so deeply soothe part of what makes it so special? Rose’s album Truly will be released on April 9th through Gondwana Records.
