Lewis McLaughlin - “Human Beings”
Glasgow-based indie folk artist Lewis McLaughlin has just released the haunting “Human Beings.”
The song opens to an ambient atmosphere reminiscent of Brian Eno. The piano driven tones evoke a serene and contemplative mood, encouraging the listener to immerse themselves into the track. The notes beautifully hang in the air and sustain with a droning quality, creating a stable foundation while it imbues a timeless quality, an almost hypnotic dilation of time.
As “Human Beings“ reaches the halfway mark, more layers are added, with a staggered drum groove giving a sense of gentle forward momentum. Violin shimmers melancholically whilst providing a rich contrast to the soothing musical elements. All of these layers beautifully come together, growing the track’s dynamics’ they elegantly flesh out the song’s emotional arc.
McLaughlin’s vocals are wonderfully expressive and sincere. His voice proudly carries the warmth of the Scottish accent, infusing the composition with striking authenticity and distinctive charm. The accent’s cadence and emotional inflections further enhance the feeling of melancholy, making the performance one that resonates deeply.
McLaughlin describes the meaning behind the track: “This song will break your heart and put it back together again. During covid isolation one winter, ‘Human Beings’ was born on the old piano that was in my flat at the time. It’s fucking good to be alive, but sometimes we need a reminder; this is the message that echoes through ‘Human Beings’, that life can be difficult, and carrying on can seem pointless at times, but that it’s so important to try to find the positives, even in the darkest of times.”
“Human Beings” is the lead single from the forthcoming album, A Hope In Fear, slated for release August 2nd on Monohands Records.
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