Carbon Leaf Countdown #6: Lake Of Silver Bells
Feb 14
I don’t think you’re much too fast asleep to enjoy this next song. At #6, it’s “Lake Of Silver Bells!”
This song ended up higher than I thought it would. If I had to guess, I would have thought probably in the 15-20 range. Then the votes started pouring in and LOSB is up there consistently on every ballot. Heck, there was a stretch where I got five ballots in a row all with it as their number one song. I do not doubt the song though; I had it in the top ten for my ballot. For some reason, I just didn’t picture it ending up that high. So as I was getting ready to write this, I put it on. Then again. Then again. I probably listened to it about 5 times in a row and nothing kind of clicked. There’s nothing overwhelming amazing about this song, but after umpteen listens, it was clear that it’s just a great song. Everything clicks and I must have sang-a-long just as loud the fifth time I heard it as the first time I did. I could tell you a dozen reasons why a song like “Shine” is just a great song. I don’t have a dozen reasons here, but I can tell you with the upmost confidence that I’d rather listen to this one over-and-over than “Shine.”
One thing I can say about the song though is it has that excellent bridge section. Carbon Leaf employs the same technique from time to time to finish up a song and this is perhaps their finest example. A bridge section realistically in a song should get you to build towards the last final hurrah of the song without utilizing the same thing you’ve done once or twice already. Ring any bells here? The music drops and Barry quietly & reflectively sings a few lines, but then it really gets interesting. The call to “wake up” is repeated as the drums thunder in and the guitar swells around it. As it comes to a head again, the music all drops out save a solitary guitar strum before the band really cranks it up to 11 for that final sprint to the end. Like I said, they utilize this kind of thing with a bunch of songs, but it really shines here and ends an already great song on the highest of notes. Well, Barry would have done that anyway with the falsetto notes towards the end, but still…
Song: Lake Of Silver Bells
Album: Nothing Rhymes With Woman
Year: 2009
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Feb 14, 2012 @ 12:20:26
The beauty of this song is that you can listen to the produced version and the acoustic version and come away with very different (and very vivid) images. That is storytelling supported by amazing musicality at it’s finest.
It would be interesting to know which version people had in mind when they voted.
Feb 16, 2012 @ 16:22:54
I didn’t vote, I apparently missed out, but I would have had it at #1 too. This song blew me away from the first time I listened to it.
Feb 29, 2012 @ 00:22:24
Talk about a deeply ambivalent song evoking marriage! The straight studio ‘electric’ version feels almost ‘haunted hotel’ creepy. Perfect for that ‘Goth/Twilight/UnSeelie Court’ atmosphere. The more strident and upbeat acoustic version seems to shake all that off and instead become a very warm depiction of deep and lasting love. The fact that it functions as both is a testamant to some very smart musicianship. My guess is that by effectively combining two songs into one it managed to double its votes.