With the leaves on the ground and the cold sweeping through, Maybe Babs gives us a solemn snapshot of this Autumnal mood with their new video for their single, “Simple Life.” Self-described as “Appalachian emo” and a former half of electronic group Vogue Dots, songwriter Babette Hayward weaves unique layers into folk sensibilities here. Emerging from Maybe Babs’ residency at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, “Simple Life” paints a vivid picture: of loneliness, of longing, and of loss.
The video is a simple enough affair – a lyric video featuring a morose Hayward on a swing-set. Words appear at the bottom of the slowly zooming shot, the swings getting more raucous with time. The aesthetic of old camcorder footage, whether contrived or not, latch onto the reflection of the lyrics perfectly. The solitary swinging on a barren concrete school ground is so familiar and gives a zen-like focus to the mood. And that peaceful, solemn solitude is only broken when the swing now sways before us, empty.
Maybe Babs’ powerful lyricism is evident from the first phrases:
“I saw your ma down at Leslie’s wake
I hitched a ride there in the middle of a school day
She held me in her arms in my uniform green
Looked into her eyes, you were all that I could see”
With understated vocal delivery and a homey comfort to the sadness we are witness to, there is more catharsis than dwelling on “Simple Life.” Much of the instrumentation hangs in the background of the track, a slightly out of focus backdrop to Maybe Babs’ words. The pedal steel slides across the arrangement as a haunting counterpoint to the low-down intimacy. The song’s delivery is so moving, and with such emotionally evocating accents, it brings to mind strong Mistski vibes, especially when you take into account that Maybe Babs describes herself as an artist who “writes songs about never being wanted by anyone.”
It’s not entirely clear whether Maybe Babs is singing about the literal death of a friend or not. But it is clear that either way, there is mourning. She shows her true strength as a lyricist on “Simple Life”, and the song serves beautifully as a showcase of her emotional wisdom. The song, the video, and the storytelling within both are all too relatable, making it hard not to feel the pangs of one’s own absent friends.
“You were already gone before I got the truth”