Jesse Marchant’s music is an intimate, personal, life-changing hug that scoops you up and holds you tight, similar to that of the folksy singer-songwriter styles of Lord Huron or Hozier. Marchant’s alluring touches of a tender, near-whispering voice, gently struck guitar and piano notes, hypnotic melodies, and smooth vocal transitions bring his music to life and inspire a sensation of warmth and remembrance. You almost feel like you’re enjoying a pensive walk in the park, or perhaps relaxing on the porch on a breezy evening under dim moonlight.
Marchant so beautifully encapsulates the elegance and depth of human emotion, which can be as raging or as still as the tide. The still side is where Marchant wanders into, expressing feeling in its moments of peace, or quiet hope, or indifference, or simple contemplation. The subdued impact of recording with a close-mic production and Marchant’s overall tender performances makes you feel as though you’re intruding on something personal, something only Marchant meant to hear and know. But that’s the beauty of it: he’s letting you in to share his deepest, dearest musings and sentiments.
The first instrumental characteristic to notice is the foundation of repetitive piano or guitar melodies that carry each song, such as the consistent rising-and-falling piano in “Sister, I,” or the similar rising-and-falling murmuring guitar in “Winter Ghosts.” Acoustic instruments are often processed to almost sound unreal and just beyond the touch of the earth, giving his songs ethereal atmospheres. These melodies and acoustic sounds are usually layered under a smattering of reverb and mild electric or synthetic sounds. It’s just enough to bring some texture to the music without interrupting its intimacy or emotional impact. There are gorgeous moments of poignant electric guitar, like in “Moonwatcher” and “7 & The Fall.”
In his latest single, “Go Lightly,” Marchant takes a slight jazzy detour. First off, the piano melody isn’t so much a repetitive melody as it is more of a freeform, almost sounding like improv, but there’s clearly a structure to it that sets the foundation of the song. The inclusion of clarinets and other woodwind instruments really brings it to that jazzy vibe, setting the scene in an old-fashioned, off-road jazz bar. Strong, effortless drums come in and out at moments that require that extra umph of power.
Marchant’s soft, whispering voice is most certainly present, beginning the song with gentle “oohs” (wordless vocalization, a common feature in his music). His tender voice moves seamlessly over every note and through transitions, mostly hanging out in the higher range but nevertheless powerfully pushed and emotionally charged. The lyrics encourage a somber, pensive mood, full of metaphors and gray images.
And a dull life leading you astray
And the dull clouds clear out
Marchant lays out his thoughts on the dangers of becoming indifferent to life and letting it slip into a dim, meaningless existence. He paints these thoughts with vivid pictures, creating that emotional depth through the power of imagery, exquisitely portrayed through the power of music.
A child is lying in the dark
Not knowing there is much to escape
And the dust will form
As days go by
The windows fog
And there is no light
With this latest single, Marchant continues his enchanting of listeners, mesmerizing us with that voice, those melodies, the talent.
