Ezra Vancil’s newest single, “Island”, arrives as a soft exhale, one of those songs that feels like sunlight warming your shoulders after years of grey skies. The track serves as the second glimpse into Morning, the first half of his forthcoming double album Morning & Midnight. While the project chronicles a decade of heartbreak, healing, and rediscovery, “Island” settles into the chapter where calm finally meets him halfway.
The song was sparked by a small but meaningful moment: a peaceful beach day shared with his reunited wife and their daughter. Instead of dramatizing that memory, Vancil leans into its simplicity. His vocals carry a grounded honesty, almost as if he’s singing from that shoreline, watching the tide pull away the last remnants of chaos that once defined his life. The decision to record the song in a secluded East Texas cabin gives the track an earthy intimacy, nothing feels forced or overly polished.
Instrumentally, “Island” blends the warm glow of Americana with the breezy ease of folk pop. A lightly “surfy” electric guitar shimmers in the background, lifting the melody just enough to mimic the feeling of waves catching the sun. The arrangement stays mellow, allowing every lyric and breath to sit with intention. Cozi Vancil’s soft backing harmonies add an emotional anchor, giving the song a subtle familial warmth.
What makes the song resonate is its restraint. It doesn’t try to be an anthem of recovery, instead, it quietly honors the small, steady moments that rebuild a life. Vancil captures gratitude not as a grand statement, but as a gentle realization, peace doesn’t always roar; sometimes it whispers.
Ezra Vancil invites listeners to step onto that shore with him, even if just for three minutes, and remember what it feels like to finally belong to yourself again.
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