Today's Song: How Keesh Immortalizes Love in "Ode to Fred"

On his most emotional song “Ode to Fred,” Keesh proves he’s an artist who deserves recognition, creating a moving piece about losing a loved one.

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Listen: “Ode To Fred” – Keesh

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The loss of a person dear to us is one of the strongest and most frustrating feelings you can ever feel in your life. When it happens, you can’t help but wonder why it had to happen to them and how you can move forward. Perhaps the scariest thought, however, is a silent question; what will be left of them? Maybe memories, their favorite shoes, photos? But that’s not enough. There is our immense love, which we keep on feeling anyway, but sometimes it happens to feel as if this weren’t enough either. How can you preserve for eternity the moments spent next to a person who is no longer there? How can we remind the world of the love we felt?

Thanks to a friend, I discovered a rare gem, which is The Groove Pack by Keesh. I had no idea what kind of genre his music was, as I had never heard of this artist. Listening to the record, I dwell on one song in particular: “Ode To Fred.” It is a soft instrumental piece, very chill yet lively. Nevertheless, I can perceive a veiled sense of nostalgia from the melody, especially towards the end of the song.

And so it was that I discovered the background of the piece; it was dedicated to the artist’s late uncle, whom Keesh was particularly fond of.

Initially, the ode had not been created to commemorate the beloved relative, as this happened after Keesh started composing the piece. However, “Ode To Fred” manages to create a special bond between the listener and his deepest memories, from the most painful to the happiest one. I cannot deny that I immediately associated a personal experience of mine with “Ode To Fred”; from the second half of the song, I immediately thought that Keesh was telling the story of how I lost someone dear to me, only to find her in a song by an artist I had never heard before. Life can really be full of surprises, can’t it?

Keesh is definitely an artist we needed and whose sound can be summed up in three words: groovy, vibey, and chill. In describing the making of “Ode To Fred”, he says it is a fusion of bongos, drums, and horns. All included, of course, in a sweet and lively melody, with a vibe that easily stays in mind – and, honestly, in your soul too. Being a bass player, Keesh also knows how fundamental the use of such an instrument is – despite it being marginalized all too often – in dedicating great attention to the details behind his music.

The Groove Pack is an invaluable album that everyone should consider listening to. It is light, carefree, and easy to listen to, meticulously composed yet unpretentious. It is music born out of pure love of music – and in this case, also to honor those who cannot be here to listen to it. With “Ode To Fred,” Keesh has succeeded perfectly in capturing his emotions and memories, allowing all who listen to the piece to do the same. A real safe space in which we can feel comfortable even with what could hurt us – and for that, we thank Keesh infinitely.

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