A gentle, tender release of intimacy and longing, Cedric Noel’s soothing “Bass Song” wrestles with vulnerability and finding a safe space in our loved ones.
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Stream: “Bass Song” – Cedric Noel
What does it take for a person or place to be our safe space? Each of us has our own qualifiers for what allows us to open up, relax, and be our true selves; however it happens, we all deserve that sense of comfort and connection. A gentle, tender release of intimacy and longing, Cedric Noel’s soothing “Bass Song” wrestles with vulnerability and finding a safe space in our loved ones. It’s a deeply raw song about struggling to open up, and trying to figure out why we feel the way we do.
If you want be all that I need
Can’t you believe it to be?
If I want be all that you need
Can you believe it?
I don’t get to say…the truth
When I want to
But I want to
Try as we might, sometimes we’re simply not able to share our full selves even with our friends and family. The fifth track off Cedric Noel’s new album Hang Time (out November 12, 2021 via Joyful Noise Recordings), the confessional “Bass Song” captures that inner strain not through dynamic tension and release, but rather through lyrical confession and melodic warmth. It’s a song that holds true to its name – bass guitar is the primary driving instrument – and one that conveys as much through moments of sound, as it does through spaces of silence.
Noel’s performance is poignant and heartfelt: “I don’t get to say… the truth,” he sings in the chorus, “when I want to… But I want to.” He spills himself into this piece of music, expressing in song that which he struggles to express in everyday conversation. Vulnerability is at an all-time high in this stirring, beautifully moving piece.
If I want to see all that you need
Will you reveal it?
If you want to be all that I see
Why do you conceal it?
Just repeal it
“I think ‘Bass Song’ is one of my favourite songs on the record,” Noel tells Atwood Magazine. “As the name suggests, it was written on a bass. It’s probably the instrument I feel most comfortable and at home with, other than singing. Evidently it’s a love song. To me, it’s about longing for someone and the struggle to truly open up and trust them. I think both of the singers are dealing with that emotional push and pull. When I see myself through the song, I see how tough it has been for me to trust as a black person in white spaces. Especially in intimate and romantic situations. Trying to figure out if someone wants to be with you for the right reasons. Up until my twenties, I was often told my blackness was ugly and that can definitely be a bit of a journey to unlearn. I think writing that song, along with some others on Hang Time, has helped with that.”
“I’m so happy and feel so fortunate to have Ella (Squirrel Flower) sing on this piece. She is one of my favourite singers and musicians. Her musical presence is so powerfully confounding to me. The way that her voice is able to have such vulnerability and intimacy whilst possessing such confidence and strength in it is a testament to her vitality as an artist.”
I don’t get to say… the truth
When I want to
But I want to
But I want to
It’s impromptu
But I want to
“Bass Song” proves a profound lament and emotional unveiling on a record rich with passion, sonic wonder, and visceral depth. Hang Time, out now, finds Cedric Noel at his most open and honest.
“In a sense I wrote this record for a teenage version of myself and hope that it reaches those who find themselves in similar situations that I was when writing the album,” he shares. “I hope that this album can contribute to the reimagination of what is understood as ‘black music’ and help remove the boundaries that term currently encompasses.”
Be sure to give Hang Time a listen in its entirety, and pay special attention to its fifth track: “Bass Song” is the unsuspecting ‘deep cut’ sleeper that won’t likely make it to radio, but may very well find a home in hearts around the world. Stripping himself down to his core, Cedric Noel found beauty, solace, meaning, and release in his truth. “Bass Song” is more than a song: It’s a vessel of self-expression.
I don’t get to say…the truth
When I want to
But I want to
When I want to
Let it fall through
When I want to
Let it fall through
But I want you
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Stream: “Bass Song” – Cedric Noel
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