Rose Cousins and Tim Baker, two of Atlantic Canada’s biggest songwriters have teamed up to revisit a song from Cousins’ 2020 JUNO-winning album, Bravado. “The Lullaby (My Oldest Love)” aims to soothe a troubled mind and quell its more discordant thoughts and while the song originally appeared on Cousins’ album as a solo effort, the new single with the duet between Cousins and Baker is just as it was always meant to be.
“The Lullaby (My Oldest Love)” had originally been written by both Rose Cousins and Tim Baker, after a conversation the two had had over coffee, clearly bearing the universally ubiquitous nature of the tiny malignant thoughts that haunt the darkest reaches of our brains.
“[The conversation] revealed a theme that resonated deeply in both of us,” says Cousins. “Being a human is vulnerable and it’s hard to remember the harsh voices in our heads are our own creations. We needed a lullaby for ourselves and that’s what we made. I’m glad we recorded this duet to honour how it felt to share the experience. Sometimes just knowing you’re not the only one is the greatest comfort.”
With the track rooted in austerity, allowing space for the powerful combination of vocals and piano, the shift is a relatively small one but the results are huge. The change in tone is surprising and, in comparison, Cousins’ solo version feels like an emotional rollercoaster, rising from loneliness to triumphant anthem.
The addition of Baker to the tune has a subtle softening effect on the song. As Cousins suggests, with Baker filling that role of a stalwart companion, the duet really adds to the sense that, despite the pervading nature of such harsh unbidden self-criticisms, none of them necessarily have to be endured alone.
Tour Dates:
10.28.21 – Lunenburg, NS – Lunenburg Opera House
10.30.21 – Halifax, NS – Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
12.02.21 – Moncton, NB – Capitol Theatre