Steve Itterly’s “My Sweet Pine” from his new EP, House Songs, is a charming folky serenade to his love. In his lighthearted and sweet tone of voice, he sings about how he will always be there for the person he loves. They’re always on his mind. You can tell how much love he has to give, and it is honestly contagious. The phrase “My Sweet Pine” even has me blushing. He admits that he’s been dealing with some emotional troubles (because that’s just how life is sometimes); however, he knows he’ll get through it as long as he has his “sweet pine”. It’s a simple message, but it drives the point home. He is head over heels and all he wants is to share his love and be loved back. Knowing he has someone to come home to, nothing else really matters. He paints pictures of scary scenarios, but he always sees the silver lining.
“Now the ocean flows over the highway
We’re all gonna drown
Then we’ll sing a song of glory
To show us beauty’s just on the other side”
It seems as though the relationship may be hitting a rough emotional patch, but he’s not worried about it. You can tell he knows exactly how to turn a bad day into something positive. He knows they love each other, so there is no reason to be afraid. There’s something so inviting about his optimism. It’s a song of encouragement for both him and the person he loves. The acoustic guitar and soft strings in the background make me imagine sitting around a cozy campfire belting out this song with friends. Though it’s an emotional song, you can feel the love radiating through the lyrics and it feels good. I think that House Songs was a perfect title for the EP, because the song feels like home. He’s clearly been through a lot with this person and wants to prove that he can handle hard times. It’s as if he’s telling them that he’s not going anywhere, nothing is too dark to scare him off.
“I have walked inside your darkness
I have drank down all your poison
And you can bet that I’ll be fine
As long as I can call you mine”
He’s seen the worst sides of the relationship, but there is nothing more that he wants than to keep it going. This song really is the essence of true love.
