12 October 2011

Music #4 - City and Colour

Well this is it - our fourth and final music post, featuring an artist that is particularly special to me.

City and Colour is the recording alias for Canadian singer-songwriter, Dallas Green - an acoustic / folk / rock artist. City and Colour was yet again introduced to me by my music-fanatic-fiance, and is probably the most important artist in our relationship.

His first album that I heard, Sometimes, is a mixture of very soulful songs, that you can't help but kick back and relax to, and the album takes me straight back to long, lazy weekends in our first apartment.

From that first album I knew that I had discovered something very special - it was his voice, his lyrics and most of all, the way he gives himself entirely to his music.



City and Colour, 'Sometimes (I Wish)' - from Sometimes.


The first album that we purchased together was his next, Bring Me Your Love, which I bought for my fiance for Valentines day. This is also the album that contains a song that is so prominent in our wedding, which is now a mere 3 days away.

My fiance played me this song while he proposed to me, he engraved a careful selection of the lyrics in my ring and it is to be our first dance. What this song is however, I do not feel I can yet reveal ahead of the wedding, and so you will just have to wait for my series of wedding posts that I am scheduling for November.

Album-wise, Bring Me Your Love consist entirely of deep lyrics and staggering vocals, that leave the emotions open wide. He sings about death, about love, about his heart, with a voice that contains such feeling and honesty; it's defenseless and true.




City & Colour, 'Against the Grain' - from Bring Me Your Love.


This is a great example of what I mean by him giving himself entirely. I have never in my life seen or heard an artist perform with such fragility and feeling, like he is singing from the depths of his soul, and just to himself.

It feels lonely, and almost overwhelming. He sings about feeling isolated, feeling vulnerable, and feeling alone, and he delivers this not only through the lyrics, but the way he sings it too - you can hear it in his voice, and see it in his face.



City & Colour, 'Body in a Box' - from Bring Me Your Love.


Body in a Box is a great example of his way with words. I love the way he describes the tears of the grieving mourners, how Johnny's breath got taken, and how the souls of the dead take flight. Beautifully told. I always feel that I am on a journey when I listen to City and Colour - it is kind of like reading a really intense book.


Johnny lived a good life, you'll hear them say
As tears of sadness soak the ground
The reaper crept in, took his breath away
In the middle of the night, oh


We celebrate the lives of the dead
It's like a man's best party, only happens when he dies
We gather 'round to pay our respects
While their souls are still searching for the light
Searching for the light



City and Colour's most recent album, Little Hell, was released in the Summer of this year. The album has a definite groove to it - it is not all as stripped back as the last two albums, yet the subject matter is just as deep.

If any of you are lucky enough to be going to his gig in Cardiff tomorrow night, then be sure to tell us how it went, as we are extremely sad to be missing it. We have only been lucky enough to see him at one single gig, which was in London a couple of years ago, and it was magnificent - he is even more amazing live, if that is possible. As the absence of an introductory picture shows, we have yet to meet Dallas, but one day we shall, and it will be magical.



City & Colour, 'Weightless' - from the new album, Little Hell.


Stunning.


Want more?...

Check out the City and Colour website: cityandcolour.ca
Keep up to date on Facebook: facebook.com/cityandcolour
Follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/cityandcolour
Listen more on Myspace: myspace.com/dallasgreen

Leaff is currently shut while we get married and enjoy our first couple of weeks as a married couple in our lovely home, which means I will be giving the blog a rest too. We will however be re-opening at the beginning of November, when I will be sharing all of my experiences in the planning of our wedding; mood boards, details, colours, suppliers and of course, our big day.

I hope that you have enjoyed our series of music posts, and that you have connected with at least one of the artists / groups. Whatever the outcome however, it has been a pleasure to share my thoughts on them, and to help to tell the world just how great they are.

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