néomí - “It’s Never Easy…”
Photo by Liz van den Akker
Surinamese/Dutch singer-songwriter Neomi Speelman, aka néomí, returns to the blog with “It’s Never Easy (Leaving Someone Behind).”
Every once in awhile, we find an artist who fully nails our niche with each new release– néomí is one such artist. We have featured every song that she’s sent our way, and once you here “It’s Never Easy (Leaving Someone Behind),” you will understand exactly why.
Nestled beneath the umbrella of folk rock, this song gets underway with the sweet and melancholic strums of acoustic guitar. In the distance, some ghostly swells of synth saturate the sonic landscape, instantly reeling in the listener, already a perfect fit for any playlist devoted to “the quiet grief of letting go.”
Brushed, barebones percussion provides a subtle heartbeat, but the real highlight here is, of course, néomí’s vocal performance, which always seems to enter the ears and carve a gentle path beneath our chests. “It’s Never Easy (Leaving Someone Behind)” has obviously been given the care of a topnotch, commercial production, but néomí’s voice allows the song to perch on the raw edge of vulnerability.
As the song progresses, auxiliary vocal layers emerge, along with a full-band arrangement, adding a distinct emotional weight to the soundscape. The soft notes of a piano find their place beneath the rising waves of an organ, just as additional textures from a lead guitar reverberate to the far ends of the stereo spread. “It’s Never Easy (Leaving Someone Behind)” is a track that will stay with you long after the first listen.
About the song, néomí adds, “‘It’s Never Easy (Leaving Someone Behind)’ is about the grief you feel for leaving someone behind in life, even though it might be the right thing to do. It is always hard, and it’s never easy to go in different paths. If you’ve loved someone for such a long time you can become ‘one’, you have to give up a whole identity to break that apart. I wrote this song as a reminder that time will ease the pain, as long as you just move on and make good choices for yourself. And especially if you don’t forget who you are as a person yourself."
“It’s Never Easy (Leaving Someone Behind)” is now available everywhere. Connect with néomí here: Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
More music from néomí: “oh my darling“ “your girl” “garden” “someone new” “so I let you”
-HD