Sean Christopher - “Ollie”
Dutch-born, UK-based singer-songwriter Sean Christopher has just released the poignant and atmospheric indie folk track, “Ollie.”
“Ollie” is a sentimental, moving track that explores the memory and bond of love that was held between Sean Christopher and his cherished dog. It is a personal, melancholic track possessing the same compositional stature of an old Paul Simon composition. This feeling is woven into the guitar layers and the intimacy, precision and narrative clarity of the vocal.
One of the things that is so pleasing about “Ollie” is that it pulls off sentimentality without falling into saccharine. The warm acoustic guitars, mournful, reflective tones of upright piano are masterfully understated, eschewing the grandiosity of a eulogy in favour of the quiet dignity of a shared life. With the accompaniment of tender brush percussion, the song is given a heartbeat that keeps the ethereal tones grounded. It is a masterclass in restraint that demonstrates that profound tributes are often not in the big crescendos but rather in the soft resonant spaces in-between the notes.
The tone of Sean Christopher’s vocal is warm, dry, almost woody, which again is reminiscent of Paul Simon. It has a gentle, vulnerable, storyteller quality where the natural breathiness and the way notes are allowed to linger create a profound atmosphere of intimacy.
There is a rare alchemy that is involved in capturing grief without melodrama. Sean Christopher perfectly strikes this balance with “Ollie.” This beautiful composition is included in the Dutch film, Hond & Ik, which premieres January 15th. Connect with Sean Christopher: Spotify | Soundcloud | Youtube | Instagram | TikTok