Hope can be a gift and a curse. It can buoy your spirit with optimism, but it can easily lead you into heartbreak. To keep hope alive, you may have to entertain a dose of reality. Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Indigo Out’s latest single, “Just What Is,” is about balancing out the ideal with actuality. It’s a dreamy rendition that subtly pushes the notion of accepting the things you can change and those you cannot.
Mark Savidge, the man behind the curtain of Indigo Out, has a hypnotic way about him that emanates from his wavy guitar melodies and low key vocals. All of the collective instrumentation on this track, which includes guitar, drums and keyboards, are performed by Savidge. Being a one-man band, it lends more authenticity to the lonely, lost in thought angle that he is aiming for. Going it alone in more ways than one, “Just What Is” is a DIY gem for maintaining an air of introspection that is layered with soothing, dream pop sensibilities.
“Waiting for things to change” is where Savidge finds himself before shifting towards resignation by finding “no point in fighting.” However, there are still hints of denial when he admits that he doesn’t know “when to let go.” Knowing when to give up the ghost, you can feel reality seeping in drop by drop.
Two lyricisms stand out as examples of being stuck in the mire. Not being able to “separate my heart from break” results in a game of “hide and seek with reality.” In turn, a scorned Savidge is left with the cold reality that everything is “just what is.” It’s a simple turn of phrase that speaks volumes about letting it be.
“Just What Is” is a deeply introspective track wrapped up in a soft, comforting blanket of affirmation. With such a sullen subject matter, Savidge could have easily taken a darker turn into the recesses of the melancholy mind. But, he chose a brighter exterior that keeps a flicker of hope alive in a world destined to snuff it out at a moment’s notice.
Written by Travis Boyer
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