Hallowe'en 2015: Bright Light Bright Light - Blood Moon (I Did Give You Love)

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There's no denying that in the guise of Bright Light Bright Light, Rod Thomas is one of the most constantly evolving and innovative artists around at the moment. He's not just an incomparable creator of music that stirs the senses and enlivens the soul, he's also a master of marketing his music in exciting and ingenious ways that hark back to the halcyon days of late 80s/early 90s pop. Add to that his collaborative work with other artists and DJ abilities and you've got a guy who knows how to reward his fans in a multitude of different ways. Following on from his still sterling Life Is Easy/Life Is Hard (remix) project he's unleashed a brand new slice of music entitled Blood Moon (I Did Give You Love). Mr BLBL says of the song:

"I’d been off tour for a few weeks and back in the studio working on my next album and was really excited to be in New York for Fall.The weather was gorgeous and I felt really great. Then just around the Blood Moon there was a really strange tension and a few pretty awful things happened. One in particular. And there was a very pronounced change in tone. I wrote the song the morning after the eclipse. I was really affected by what happened, and also very torn with a horrible feeling that I shouldn’t be upset, but should be more worried about caring about other people that the event impacted. I felt so guilty and ridiculous for being so saddened, I felt like I couldn’t voice it. So I wrote the song pretty much in the time it takes to sing it. It doesn’t fit with the theme or energy of what I want on the next album, so I decided to release it for tour, and Halloween, and give it its own moment in time."

It is a moment in time that beautifully and eruditely captures the quiet and reflective elegiac moments that such an experience can bring. Rod gives a haunting vocal performance that is elegantly restrained yet seemingly portrays the visceral emotions that swirl around within him. There's a tangible element of longing and regret that's palpably audible in his anguished tones, the power of singing through the pain driving him to a Grammy worthy performance. When he sings "I did give you love (maybe not enough", it's a stark moment of devastating realisation that will strike a chord with all of us who have experienced love and loss in our lives. If, to you, it feels like he is being guided by the mesmerising power of the titular blood moon then that is in large part to both his skill as an emotive singer and also the expertly constructed instrumental that wraps around him. This music is as organic and guttural as if Mother Nature herself were conducting the score using only the power of the elements at her disposal. In verse two, for example, when a lone saxophone comes in it is representative of an animal cry, sympathising with the narrative the song tells. It all coalesces to be utterly spellbinding and there is (for me) a moment of guilt for finding something so beautiful and resonant out of a terrible experience. But I feel that's the point - the song is here to let you know you are not alone in such tribulations. It's an enduring tune and companion for when you need it most. And for that, Mr Thomas, I thank you.