For some time, Aidan Knight was known as a helpful backing musician, playing everything from pop-rock bass lines to violent, pounding hardcore drums. All the while, he was writing songs of his own, recording in intensive three day bursts whenever he was able to raise enough money. Sleeping on the studio floor at Jonathan Anderson's Langley studio, Buena Vista Audio, Knight immersed himself in the project, waking up to play most of the instruments himself. With the arrangements in place, he invited Toronto's The O' Darling to fill in the additional drums, guitars, girl harmonies, strings and horns.
The result of these collaborations is Versicolour, an intimate eight-song collection of haunted chamber folk and moody acoustic pop. Opening track "The Sun" begins with a pulsing, ticking drum loop and baroque piano chords, gradually swelling to a string-laden climax with a dense chorus of harmony, cascading drum fills, and a meditative repetition of the title. "Knitting Something Nice for You" starts as a sparse acoustic waltz, Knight's fingers audibly scraping up and down the fretboard; the mood changes completely halfway through, with a hypnotic keyboard groove taking over while guitar feedback squalls somewhere in the distance.
Even more striking than the arrangements is the songwriting, which is deeply personal yet universally relatable. "Fighting Against Your Lungs," ironically written just a few months before Knight suffered a collapsed lung, is a hushed love song set on top of classic horns and fingerpicked guitar. It's lyric, "I met you on the border cross/And gave up kisses like a winter's frost", a wishful thought between two people separated by the prairies. "Jasper" is humanistic and spiritual in equal measures, describing a summer afternoon spent near the Athabasca River. Over a joyous backdrop of banjo chords and steel guitar leads, the song's group-sung chorus sets a communal atmosphere for Knight's life-affirming lyrics. It's a timeless anthem - no small feat for any songwriter, let alone a first-time artist. With a talent like this, it's clear that it was only ever a matter of time before Knight rose above his supporting role and struck out on his own.
Versicolour was released in 2010.
All Clear
Aidan Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm alone with the thought of it
High outside
It's there and it's gone again
Counting it fast and keeping it slowly
Time all clear
I'm alone with the thought of it
We believe it in the end all things go
When I see it, I believe it in the end, all things go
Oh some things get lost, get lost and go missing
Wandering off in time, counting too fast
Keeping things slowly, slowly in time
When I see it, I believe it in the end
All things go, when we see them
We will believe them in the end
All things go
The lyrics of Aidan Knight's song "All Clear" seem to touch on the passing of time and the evanescence of certain experiences, particularly when it comes to the end of things. The phrase "in time all clear" appears to hint at a moment in the future when everything will become clear and unravel itself, possibly indicating that the singer is going through a tumultuous period of doubt and uncertainty. The phrase "I'm alone with the thought of it" emphasizes this feeling of isolation and introspection that pervades the lyrics, as if the singer is trying to make sense of their own feelings and reactions. The mention of the outdoors, "high outside", and its fleeting presence reinforces the idea of transience, and how everything in life eventually fades away.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of perception and belief, with the repeated phrases "when we see you, we believe it in the end all things go" and "when I see it, I believe it in the end, all things go". This could suggest that certain events or experiences are only valid or real to us if we witness them with our own eyes, and that everything else is subject to interpretation and doubt. The final lines affirm the inevitability of change and the passage of time, with the repeated statement "all things go".
Overall, the lyrics of "All Clear" convey a sense of contemplation and introspection in the face of change and transience, as well as the importance of personal experience and belief in shaping our perception of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
In time all clear
The situation is under control and everything is okay
I'm alone with the thought of it
The singer is in a reflective mood, contemplating something on their own
High outside
The atmosphere is tense and uncertain
It's there and it's gone again
The thing being considered is fleeting and hard to grasp
Counting it fast and keeping it slowly
The singer is trying to analyze something quickly but also be methodical and deliberate in their approach
Time all clear
The situation is still fine and manageable
When we see you,
Other people's perceptions and opinions are also at play in the situation
We believe it in the end all things go
Ultimately, everything is temporary and will come to an end
When I see it, I believe it in the end, all things go
The singer also acknowledges the transitory nature of things and has come to peace with it
Oh some things get lost, get lost and go missing
Certain things are elusive and cannot be fully grasped or understood
Wandering off in time, counting too fast
The concept being considered is slipping away, and the singer is trying to figure it out quickly
Keeping things slowly, slowly in time
Despite the urgency to understand, the singer is taking a methodical and deliberate approach to analyzing the situation
When I see it, I believe it in the end
The singer is confident in their ability to understand and accept the ephemeral nature of things
All things go, when we see them
Our changing perceptions and understanding of things lead to their ultimate demise
We will believe them in the end
Eventually, we will come to accept and understand the fleeting nature of all things
All things go
Everything is temporary and will eventually come to an end
Contributed by Natalie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Non Yim
In time all clear
I'm alone with the thought of it
High outside
It's there and it's gone again
Counting it fast and keeping it slowly
Time all clear
I'm alone with the thought of it
When we see you,
We believe it in the end all things go
When I see it, I believe it in the end, all things go
Oh some things get lost, get lost and go missing
Wandering off in time, counting too fast
Keeping things slowly, slowly in time
When I see it, I believe it in the end
All things go, when we see them
We will believe them in the end
All things go
SirEx12345678
It's been over a year and I STILL love this song and listen to it daily
Aidan Knight
checkin in on year 4 👀
Ben Macmillan
@Aidan Knight ITS SO GOOD
Foxx Foto
Wow - Incredible video.
Completely perfect pairing of music and melancholy colours, styles, timing throughout the video. Unique & extremely well- crafted! Kudos to the video makers and Aidan!
Buddy Daturtle
Haven't liked any new music other than Jazz in a long time .....this is very good. keep it up....consider this an affirmation of purchase.
kevsugar
This freaking rules. Great music, great video.
Christian Carroll
Dude. This song is legit bliss.
*******
love this!! the video is wonderfully produced and has some really nice shots. reminds me of napoleon dynamite, and some of wes andersons stuff. anyone know who directed this? also reminds me if this one episode of the simpsons with the whole 80s tron kinda vibe. also the album is gr8888!
Don Knight
Compositor/Producer: William Wilkinson
Animation: Justin Steele
Z
I love your music, keep up the amazing work and follow your dreams. The sound is absolutely amazing. good luck Mr. Aidan Knight in your music career.