Seán R. McLaughlin & The Wind-Up Crows
Photo by Graham Ogston
Scotland-based folksy rockers Seán R. McLaughlin & The Wind-Up Crows have arrived on our blog with the energetic and emotionally-charged “Wishing Well.”
The track fades in with the hum of a synthesizer, as glimpses of guitar notes occasionally appear to provide some foreshadowing for the impending elevation. An upbeat rhythm suddenly rises to the surface, adorned with wide, reverberating guitar chords– “Wishing Well” is a three-headed dragon waking from its slumber to feast upon the airwaves.
McLaughlin’s vocal soon arrives, bearing just as much energy as the rhythm, delivering a barrage of lyrics that deal with the frustration in being unable to fully disappear, as technology has made it more and more difficult to go off-the-grid. His performance is soon supported by a subtle harmony, which is truly divine in the way it widens the overall production.
The refrain deeply resonates within us: “But when I’m gone, will you please tell them I drowned in a wishing well,” as it is very easy to become so consumed by your dreams that you would rather die wishing them into existence than to never even get your feet wet. Of course, this could very well be our own, speculative interpretation, but with music being so subjective, c'est la vie.
McLaughlin worked with his family on “Wishing Well,” featuring his cousin Lewis McLaughlin, and another cousin, Andy Monaghan (Frightened Rabbit), at the production helm. But McLaughlin adds the most touching detail: “the viola I played in the choruses was rescued from my grandfather’s fireplace. He was a luthier and was so unhappy with it, he tried to burn it. I saved it. It’s one of the best instruments I own and I’m so attached to it now.”
If you’re familiar with our blog, you’ll already know that our usual brand of folk is much darker and melancholic, but there is a magical energy occurring within “Wishing Well” that truly cannot be overlooked. There is a message here that can only be delivered with an ample amount of emotional exuberance and we are both very pleased to feature it and excited to see what McLaughlin and co send over to us next.
On that note, you can look for a full album arriving on May 3, but in the meantime, feel free to connect with them across the internet: Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp
-HD