If there is one thing that can be said about music as a whole, it’s that it possesses a power to bring people together from all around the world. Regardless of their upbringing or location, most successful artists have the ability to forge songs which carry a vital message at their core which helps people relate to them. By integrating such universal topics such as love and loss into a song, it immediately becomes something which others can relate to, no matter how personal the lyrics are to the artist. I say this because, while this song, “Fleeting,” by Monmoi, comes from the creative mind of George David, who is based in London, it is still clearly relatable all the way over here in America thanks to some expertly crafted lyrics and instrumentation.
Starting off with an echoing guitar playing chords, one at a time, over a lo-fi drumbeat, the song immediately fills the space with its simplicity. Without allowing one aspect to overperform and take over, every piece of instrumentation combines to create something which immediately sets your mood, regardless of where your headspace was beforehand. George David begins providing vocals which are drenched in reverb and echo, adding to the song’s dream-like quality. He sings, “Did you make it? / Cause there’s only one more place to hide.” From the start, the lyrics of this song do not imply any deeper meaning. However, the next line of the song, “Could you fake it? / I’m outside,” throws me off. Immediately after hearing it, I started interpreting the rest of the song through the eyes of somebody who refuses to let go of a lost relationship. The section of the song ends with David pleading for his lovers return, “Could you hold me? / Like you did before we got old.”
The song suddenly gains some extra layers of sound, including more guitars and percussive effects as we enter the chorus. With the melody slightly switching, allowing for more emotiveness in David’s voice, we get more of a sense of his pleading. He sings, “You dream big when you’re losing / I feel sick when you’re leaving.” The section then ends with, “And quick, does someone have a mind? / ‘Cause I think I’m losing mine.” At the end of his pleading, he turns outward asking for anybody who is listening to help him. An interesting instrumental section leads us into the next verse of the song where we get a little more context with David singing, “Do you believe her? / She’s trying to deceive you.” This line would have me believe that his relationship was broken up by another person, which could add to his sense of helplessness in the situation.
Re-entering the chorus, albeit with different lyrics, David has his chance to plead once again, singing, “You make time to enjoy it / I leave blind when you destroy it.” Referring to their relationship, he is suggesting that this person has the power to make it work or not, depending on their mood. That being said, he soon comes to the realization, “I see you’re running out of luck, you can tell I don’t give a fuck / My love will never be enough / Who knew I could be so tough?” After this sudden switch in attitude from David, he continues, “I feel you’re running out of steam / You can’t wake up from this dream.” The song then plays out with a more upbeat and positive sounding instrumental than when it started. Although the progression of lyrics doesn’t come in until the latter half of the song, it still succeeds at portraying its message with emotion. As if the instrumental and lyrics were simultaneously made for one another, this song provides a complete package worth listening to.
