Finding Release in Vera Blue's "Hold"

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I love the way you tie me down

It’s amazing, how deftly some voices can arrest listeners. “Hold,” the debut track from Vera Blue off her Fingerprints EP (May 2016 via Universal Music Australia) has an aura of undeniable confidence and direction. Even though there are darker angles portrayed lyrically and through the song’s folky, electronic sounds, the fragility of the acoustic guitar holds the track together in the most pivotal moments. Whilst this new heavily produced direction is a far cry from the Celia Pavey Australia grew to love on The Voice (Season 2), it is “the music I [Celia] have been wanting to make and I feel like I’m unleashing.”

Watch: “Hold” – Vera Blue

[youtube=https://youtu.be/3Cv6JEjevKQ?t=0s]

What is explicitly definite in this exquisite tapestry of a track is the use of tension and release. It’s that moment before you know exactly what you need to do – all of the unanswered questions, sleepless nights and misunderstandings make sense. This moment of release, the moment when you start being honest with yourself, is where Vera Blue’s “Hold” comes to fruition.

You loved the many faults you found
You cared what was worth keeping around
When I am yours
When we are home

This is a sweet surrender, and it’s evident in every single lyric that has been carefully embedded within the soaring vocals and intense phrasing. There is a refreshing vulnerability; it’s almost like a form of strength that exists through conceding defeat, not with others, but yourself. If you’ve ever stared in the eyes of a loved one and pushed them away in an attempt to protect them, you will feel nothing but sweet liberation when embracing this track.

I have broken that heart so many times
You have a hold of it now
I need you to breathe your life into me
You have a hold of it now

"Hold" single art - Vera Blue — “Hold” single art – Vera Blue

The chorus screams revelation, confidently reiterating the central meaning of Vera Blue’s track, “about finding someone who pulls you out of a dark place.” The eruption of layers, full of lush, decedent sounds immediately signifies that this track represents more than just your run of the mill, cliché lovesick track. “Hold” is a celebration; it represents that moment when you realise you have someone in your corner that will fight for you, even when you can’t bring yourself to do so.

There are certain characteristics that make it easy to recognise a particular genre, yet more often than not artists are breaching what used to be defined boundaries. Artists are making the most the uncharted territory and combining genres to create new soundscapes. Many textures are woven together to create pieces of art that become unique in more way than one. The acoustic influence, electronic production and effortless vocals in “Hold” all combine to imitate a wonderful feeling of revelation. Vera Blue’s debut allows you to realise that excruciating lows, the ones that force you to build up walls, are simply part of the compromise to finding what you truly deserve. You can finally look in the mirror and see flaws as strength, but most importantly accept that vulnerability is the key to meaningful relationships.