clay pigeon - “Dark Blue”
Canadian songwriter James Clayton, aka clay pigeon, has just served up a brilliant slice of indie folk with the stunning “Dark Blue.”
“Dark Blue“is built around fingerpicked acoustic guitar that melodically weaves throughout the composition, creating a sense of constant movement. This is wonderfully complemented by the rich bass line, which pulses soothingly underneath. Piano reflectively pads with sustained tones as drums add a gentle percussive layer of texture.
The splashes of electric lead guitar are simply astounding and perfectly punctuate the melancholically meditative mood of the track. The sounds are rich with vibrancy and they are exquisitely allowed to melt into the arrangement. The gentle vocal performance is beautifully filled with a wonderful sense of introspective soul. Subtle, harmonising backing layers enhance the lead’s authenticity and bring real weight to the lyrics.
On the song Clayton explains: “‘Dark Blue‘ was one of the first songs I wrote for the project and in hindsight, it set the canvas for the rest of the record. I stumbled upon the guitar part while messing with tunings for Meg Duffy’s (Hand Habits) songwriting course “School of Song” in August 2021, and something about the descending changes and chord voicings felt like they carried a lot of weight. The fingerpicking pattern melted the beginning and end of the phrase together and everything became very meditative, yet unresolved, as if to ask a question. Is everything okay?”
“Dark Blue” by clay pigeon is a song filled with a magnificent sense of melancholic ambience. The track is taken from the forthcoming debut LP, The Aching Taste of Blue, slated for July 19th.