Nova Scotian folk artist Corey Isenor’s new album, Absinthe & Smoke, is set to release on August 16th. The second single, “The Long Way Home” is an exceedingly poetic lament not unfamiliar to the 30 somethings of the world still trying to find their place.
“A dozen limes and lemons, a thousand lines and boundaries crossed,
When we are young we are free, but we are lost.“
Isenor says the song was born from an experience he had after a friend’s wedding.
“The song is inspired by me waking up one morning in the summer outside in my tent quite hungover…. [It] basically describes the feelings and thoughts I had about that day, the actions we go through, and the idea of ‘growing up’ and waiting to be acknowledged by romance.”
Aren’t all the best songs conceived this way?
The song tackles feelings of desire, waiting, and the futility of going through the motions of what we are told we are supposed to be doing.
“Time won’t bend another moment for my youth,
Life won’t render me in love, without the proof,” sings Isenor.
The song is ripe with lyrical imagery tell-tale of a seasoned songwriter. If the beauty of the melody doesn’t grab you first, the lyrics will quickly do so. In addition to the themes of searching and wandering, grasping for the traditional milestones of life is also conveyed: “Something around the turn, though I don’t know where or when.”
The sound has a touch of retro influence, and while it does portray itself as a ballad, there is also a hint of inexplicable cheeriness to be found. It would be hard to find vocals more soothing than those that Corey consistently delivers and which you will find in “The Long Way Home.”
Tour Dates:
06.30.19 – Halifax, NS @ Gus’ Pub & Grill
07.06.19 – Kentville, NS @ Deep Hollow Print
07.13.19 – Port Medway, NS @ Port Grocer
07.25.19 – Halifax, NS @ Timber Lounge
07.26.19 – Wolfville, NS @ The Rolled Oat