#13 Gabriels - In Loving Memory, 2023

In Loving Memory by Gabriels sounds like it was recorded at the back of an old house somewhere in the mid west, in a derelict room with a rickety old piano...and maybe a couple of rusty old microphones thrown in to the mix. The starkness of the production lends itself well to what is an extremely bleak and haunting song about the loss of a loved one.

Despite the rather stark sound, it is beautifully produced and the atmosphere within the song is palpable and particularly ominous. The short but impactful lyrics create a perfect balance between the descriptive poetic sensibility and the rawness of someone who is clearly struggling to come to terms with the loss of someone very close,

The obvious reference to The Flamingos, "I Only Have Eyes For You", 1959, roots the song in some kind of historical framework, which add to this timeless, vintage sound. Without having an awareness of the exact roots of the song, the faded artwork depicting the women and literal historical "nods" create an unsettling feeling, heightened by the solo operatic singer arriving later in the song. The depth and imperfection of the piano and the crispness and presence of the lead vocal achieve an extremely high quality production, that has a really live feel.

Without knowing the correct, technical lingo regarding the use of historical aesthetics/media in movies to create certain feeling - an example would be using songs from the 50s to create a malevolent feeling within a horror movie. I believe the blatant use of part of the Flamingos song achieves exactly the same effect.

After spending more time with this amazing song, I realise how clever these elements are and how basic, but perfect it is. They've stripped the song back to its fundamental elements, whilst adding rather left of field choices such as the opera singer and rather rough backing vocals.

Listen via Spotify