This is just a quick one. Well, as quick as I can manage. At the moment I’m entrenched in a number of different projects. But sometimes you hear something which cannot wait.
David Baron’s “People Of No Concern” is a simply gorgeous cross of folk and neo-classical which certainly cannot wait. After scanning through the “Classical” tab on Bandcamp I was instantly struck by that simple, beautiful yet powerfully atmospheric cover.
And the song beyond it more than lived up to its promise. “People Of No Concern” rests upon four pillars. An uncomplicated, beautiful piano melody, a small string ensemble and the astonishing vocal talents of Lettie MacLean and her 11 year old niece Madeleine.
Baron himself has an hugely impressive legacy. The list of artists he’s worked with is far too long to lay out in full. Lenny Kravitz, Peter Murphy, Bat for Lashes, Shawn Mendes, The Lumineers…this barely scratches the surface.
He knows his way around a tune, and his experience cannot be denied. But even if “People Of No Concern” was the first and only thing on his resume, it would still signal a significant talent who deserves your attention and celebration.
Baron describes the track as a ‘Magical musical conversation between two angels.’ There is a transcendent quality to the track. A sense of awe and divinity and yes, magic.
Madeleine and Lettie were perfectly cast for this. Lettie is a long time collaborator, and her smoky, emotive voice ties a sense of worldly experience into this piece. This is weighted against the deceptive innocence of Madeleine. A singer who, it’s worth stressing again, is only 11 years old.
This fact is astonishing. The angel she represents isn’t lacking in insight. The song references the Greek myth of Cassandra: a woman cursed to make true prophecies which are never believed. Madeleine expresses the frustration intrinsic to such a scenario with a subtle, confident performance you’d expect from an artist with many years on her.
The harmonies Lettie and Madeleine share towards the end provide the perfect climax. To be fair though, perfection is a concept which applies to every single bar of this glorious song.
You can find David Baron here:
You can find Lettie MacLean here:
1 Comment
Thank you for the very kind review!