“A song which feels like an artist taking stock of how far they have come before setting off on a new journey.” That’s how we described ‘Skyscraper‘, the last single from Louisville songwriter Jack Keyes. “[The single] is a celebration of the wonderful musical community I’ve found in Kentucky,” as Keyes explained. “with contributions from friends I’ve met throughout my musical journey in town,” but also “about wanting to be more comfortable in my own choices and in my own skin.”
Since covering album Dissolving in Dusk back in 2021 we’ve admire Jack Keyes’s ability to braid his intimate folk style with something a little more experimental, and latest single ‘The Door’ is no exception. Intending to explore the sometimes hazy space of miscommunication that exists between people, the song pairs a layered vocal style with its languid rhythm. A sound that splits the difference between a romantic folk and the melancholic reflection of Fog Lake or German Error Message.
But running parallel to these moods is something a little unnerving too. A thread of eeriness which seems to emanate from intimacy and the subconscious fears around it. “Had a strange nightmare / that you couldn’t hear me shout,” as the song opens, “though I saw you there, something shut us out.” The rest of the track walks along this line of dream logic, where strangeness and romance slot side by side as though there was barely a distinction between the two.
‘The Door’ is out now and available from the usual places.