Esbie Fonte’s “Pico & Westwood” is a deliciously tragic song stitched together with a bittersweet thread of flashbacks. Fonte has the persona of a romantic hero who is reminiscing over a slideshow of memories. It’s a fantastic song that sparks complex emotions that many of us would probably prefer to leave dormant. Esbie Fonte captures the bittersweet feelings of stumbling through the past. “Pico & Westwood” is the just the edge of the rabbit hole.
The story kicks off at a street corner in Los Angeles called Pico & Westwood . It’s the backdrop of the first encounter between two people who inevitably fall in love. What began as a ride home evolves into a budding relationship followed by giddy excitement. As time passes, the sentimental longing begins to overshadow the excitement of the initial encounter. We’re left with an unsettling melancholy for what once was.
When you walked my way
Seems like yesterday
Yesterday is only the beginning. What follows is a downward spiral of fragmented scenarios that she alludes to throughout the song. Her honest tone sounds like she’s reciting spare thoughts scribbled in a loose page of a journal.
Cooking dinner in my kitchen
Dancing in some alleyway
An encounter of love can happen when we least expect it.
Making music in the living room on sunny afternoons
Eating ice cream in the sound how we grew
She continues to write a long list with a her haunting voice. Esbie Fonte has a vocal presence that reminds me of the sweet scent rain and faded neo-noir films laced with pop rock. It’s a style that’s been done before, but it’s becoming harder to find in mainstream music. She definitely caters to music fans who can relate to the complex sides of life and relationships. She’s oddly captivating.
Spellbound by you, holding on to get through to the part where we started
Although Esbie Fonte relishes the good memories, nostalgia can be a guilty pleasure. It has the potential to uncage unwanted demons, and before you know it they follow on a leash. What would we sacrifice to experience the first spark of love all over again? It’s very enlightening to revisit the good times, but sometimes revisiting the past too often can be detrimental. “Pico & Westwood” has a mood that is saddening from certain angles, but it’s a truly beautiful song overall.
