Synth driven and light sounding, Couch Prints’ “Of Drawing” portrays the different phases of longing from a raw, honest perspective
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Stream: “Of Drawing” – Couch Prints
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The feeling of longing is something ingrained in human nature. Sometimes, humans long for something because it was actually great. However, that is not the case most of the time. Contrary to that, longing usually comes from an idealization of the past. The passing of time tends to distort the memories, leaving a trail of romanticized moments and what ifs, a trail that blissfully ignores the harsh reality.
Longing can be wholesome, powered by nostalgia, but it can also be a source of toxicity, an excuse to hold on regardless of whether something is good or not. It is the fear of the unknown, because it is easier to stick to something we are used to even if it is destructive, than to let go and dive into the unknown.
“Of Drawing” was recorded over two years in various bedrooms, rehearsal spaces, and studios around the world – with the latest recording in New York where the group finally found themselves living in the same city. Lyrically and emotively the song is about longing – an intense desire for a reality that just isn’t yours, while on a technical level it represents a transformation in songwriting that the group has been seeking since their inception”, the band tells Atwood regarding the conception of the song.
A metallic percussive sound padded by an ethereal synth introduces the song, quickly joined by a steady drumbeat that drives the beat throughout. Jayanna’s voice follows, grabbing the attention of the listener and soaring about the instrumental, which becomes secondary. Her felted tone is soothing, counteracting the distress expressed in the lyrics.
Every moment I try to escape
Every horror that I couldn’t face
Can’t wait for the feeling to come back
Couldn’t wait for the feeling to come back
The singer’s voice was indeed what caught Couch Prints guitarist Jake’s attention. Whilst studying in Paris, he noticed Jayanna singing in the courtyard of their university, and there was an instant connection. The pair quickly bonded and started writing together, leading the singer to become the third and last member of the band, alongside Brandon, Jake’s long-term musical partner, and Jake himself.
As the track goes on, the chorus smoothly makes its way in. There is not a big chorus preceding, the only indicator of a change being the discrete introduction of a lead synth and a choppy guitar.
And when you find the covers off your legs
My nails drip with saliva can’t behave
There’s still a sense of drawing
Still a scent about you
I might lie to have something to say
Lyrically, the chorus portrays the essence of longing that acts as a backbone for the song. Both sides of longing, the wholesome nostalgia and the destructiveness that come with it, are exposed before seamlessly going back into the verse.
Using lyrical simplicity as their best asset, Couch Prints paint a descriptive portray of one of the biggest mysteries of human nature, a tendency towards longing. Further from being a heavy song, the light sound of “Of Drawing” makes the theme digestible, whilst keeping a poetic narrative from beginning to end.
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Stream: “Of Drawing” – Couch Prints
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