Melanie Baker is our fourth pick for Track Of The Week with the breathtaking 'Love Isn't Meant To Make You Feel Alone'.
It's March 2020 and we've announced our show with Melanie Baker as part of her UK Tour. She'll be coming to Brighton and we're delighted to be hosting her...
...Ah.
We all know what happened next.
Not to be deterred from our unfortunate situation of missing Baker perform live we have been an avid follower and listener of her work as we try and fill the gap. The show will have to wait but her back catalogue of acoustic delights are already there and waiting for us, it was Love Isn't Meant To Make You Feel Alone that truly captured our attention though.
Starting with piano and vocal from the start of the song you are immediately captured by the intimate and fragile melody that follows, the song doesn't require big production and arrangement from a band until a cello joins later in the song. We are left with Baker and her piano, spilling her thoughts as we find ourselves rooting for her younger self in the battle between common sense and unrequited love - A challenge we have all faced with a mixture of success.
The track evokes a sense of innocent young love, that feeling of falling for someone for the first time and the unique emotions that come with it, both for good and bad. It makes us long to speak to our younger self and let them know that they will be okay, this bit's just a bit messy.
I wish I could go back and tell myself
That wasn't love,
That wasn't real
But when you find it for the first time
It's the best you'll ever feel
Baker has a way of inviting you into her life and journey with seeming ease and an open and honest approach to her lyricism that only the finest songwriters are able to achieve, belying her years with a mature approach to her chosen topic.
We could have picked many of her tracks but we felt with Valentines Day back with us this year it was only right we shared one of her most heartbreaking numbers on the radio show and thus adding it to Track Of The Week list.
Ever seen someone carry a piano up a mountain for a music video? Neither had we.
We implore you to check out more of Melanie Baker's work and when we manage to reschedule that Brighton date... We know we'll see you there.
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Written by Jacko Hooper - @jacko_hooper