Secondarily, I bought the CD with the idea of writing a review for The Rabbit Room. But must tell you that I’m fearful that my vocabulary isn’t broad enough to aptly describe it’s wonder. I’m not sure how a recording artist creates a truly original recording without sounding derivative or ridiculously self-indulgent, but Jeremy Casella has done it. Man, has he done it.

The Proprietor’s comment nailed it for me:

I’m intrigued by songs like this–songs that convey an emotion, paint pictures of a time and place, but don’t come right out and smack you in the face with their deeper story. Not only does it give you something to think about, it allows you to superimpose your own story into the song, and sometimes it helps you to feel less alone.

I listen to songs like these over and over again because something which is somewhat latent begins to come into focus, both in the music and in my heart. In Jeremy’s case, the instrumentation plays as much a part as the lyrics. Like an addict seeking to recapure the original high, I burrow myself into the songs–chasing the high–because I love the feelings they bubble up in my heart, and that’s true whether those feelings are joyful, painful, or something in between.

It’s like I want to run as far away from numb as possible. There is so much in the world and in art that leaves me numb. Finding things that make me feel deeply remind me that I’m chasing a high that will someday be validated and honored as the Ultimate Truth. And despite my stumbles, the deeper Truth lives in me today.

I wanted to take all the heartache and pain i’ve felt over my life (which always rears its head in different ways…sometimes blind anger directed at others or sometimes depression or just a rebellious spirit without a good cause) and wrap it up in all the beauty i could muster from the music. The strings do that for me here. Especially the violin melody which is sort of the main instrumental melody of the song. The acoustic guitar sort of meanders it’s way through the beginning in no specific chord sequence (like our thoughts and how random things trigger memories) until the vocal starts.

I would say this is the most honest song I have ever written. Definitely my most honest lyric. It was a good challenge to write about it and start the healing process.

thanks again for posting this andrew! love you brother.