“Simple and sad with a shot of scotch.” That’s how musician Sara Lov describes her simultaneously dark and angelic sound that has been also described as “honeyed” (NME), “haunting” (The Sun), and “smokey” (MOJO). The former frontwoman of Devics and current solo singer paints an apt picture of melodies that are both minimalist and poignant with heady vocals that warm you from the inside.
For a singer freshly on her own, Lov (no, the “e” isn’t missing, and yes, that’s her real name) exudes immense confidence. The artist was formerly a part of indie favorite dream pop band Devics, a critical favorite in the UK where they were famously signed to Bella Union by Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde. It is perhaps because of the success of Devics that Lov finds the idea of going out on her own exciting, if a little unnerving. “I learn every day and doing scary things makes me grow,” Lov says. “Dustin [[artist]Dustin O'Halloran, the other half of Devics] and I make wonderful music together, but like every creative person there’s always that insistent urge to write both music and lyrics for yourself, test yourself, challenge yourself.”
Lov views much of her life in a similar way – taking something frightening that could have overwhelmed others, and making it a positive influence on her life and music. At the age of five, the Hawaiian-born Lov was kidnapped by her father and taken to Israel, then Minnesota, and then ended up in L.A. at age 12 where she was raised by her uncle. “My father really encouraged me creatively,” Lov says. “The one thing I am certain of is that for most of my young life, music was the consistency and stability I had. It was my escape and my sanity.”
Perhaps that’s why Lov feels a certain nostalgia for a time in her life that most would imagine to be traumatic or marked by stolen innocence, going as far as to name her debut solo album, Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming (Nettwerk), after the idealism of youth. “As you get older it’s harder to find beauty and innocence in anything,” she says. “It’s easy to get jaded and loose your sense of idealism. So, to find that thing that brings you back to your ‘young eyes’ or that thing that makes you feel excited to be alive again even though you are seeing it through seasoned eyes... even if just for a moment, it’s a beautiful thing.”
Produced by Zac Rae (Fiona Apple, Annie Lennox, My Brightest Diamond), mixed by Darrell Thorp (Radiohead, Beck), and featuring cameos from Alex Brown Church (Sea Wolf) and Solon Bixler (Great Northern), Seasoned Eyes shows steely confidence, even with Lov’s oft-shaky vocals. A cover of Arcade Fire’s “My Body is a Cage,” shows Lov’s versatility in her ability to turn an already stunning song even more gorgeous, filling out the instrumentals with cello, Ukulele, pump organ, and celesta.
On her original tracks, Lov is similarly inventive. “Animals,” which Lov describes as a breakup song, is a dramatic musical dialogue between Lov and Alex Brown Church led by jaunty, child-like guitar picking.
It’s Lov’s lyrics, though, which are the highlight of her music, and the part she is most reluctant to talk about, preferring instead for listeners to interpret on their own. On “Fountain,” over mournful strings and theatrical keys, Lov sings “Fountain, fountain, we are the same / all that anyone ever has for you are the things you reflect back to them,” and with restrained anger, “Don’t you wish you could throw your pennies back at them.”
On “Animals,” Lov reflects on what she learned from a broken relationship: “I never, never learned to swim until you came around and pushed me in”,” she sings. With “A Thousand Bees,” she works on letting go and moving on, as she sings “How sweet is the revenge when you don’t want it anymore / How meaningless the defense when you’re not fighting anymore,” over a rapidly tapped snare and swelling keys. On “Tell Me How,” she expresses, “I’m really good at getting hurt babe / Not so great at feeling good.”
For an artist who was curious about recording and performing on her own, Lov has proven she had little to be concerned about. “I had always wanted to make a solo record but I guess I never believed I could do it on my own,” she says. “I’m really glad I did it, a whole world opened up to me.” Listeners to Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming are certain to be just as pleased.
All Out of Love
Sara Lov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinking of you till it hurts
I know you hurt too but what else can we do
Tormented and torn apart
I wish I could carry your smile in my heart
For the times when my life seems so low
It would make me believe what tomorrow could bring
When today doesn't really know, doesn't really know
I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right, believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong
I want you to come back and carry me home
Away from these long, lonely nights
I'm reaching for you, are you feeling it too?
Does the feeling seem oh, so right?
And what would you say if I called on you now
And said that I can't hold on?
There's no easy way, it gets harder each day
Please love me or I'll be gone, I'll be gone...
I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right, believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong
Ooo, what are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?
I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right, believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say that I was wrong
I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right, believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong
Sara Lov's "All Out of Love" is a heartbreaking ballad about a person who is missing their loved one. The entire song revolves around the theme of heartbreak and desperation felt by the singer who is pained after a break up. The song begins with the singer lying alone with their head on the phone, thinking of their partner until it hurts. The singer acknowledges that their loved one is also hurting, but they cannot do anything about it. They are tormented and torn apart by the separation. The singer wishes they could carry their loved one's smile in their heart to help them feel better when their life seems low. They wish they could believe in a better tomorrow when today is so uncertain.
In the chorus, the singer reveals that they are all out of love, and they feel lost without their loved one. They acknowledge that their partner was right, and they were wrong for not believing in their relationship for so long. The singer wishes their loved one would come back and carry them home, away from long, lonely nights. The singer is reaching out to their loved one and wondering if they feel the same way the singer does. They wonder if their loved one would love them or if they will be gone.
Overall, Sara Lov's "All Out of Love" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to anyone who has gone through heartbreak and survived. It is a reminder that even when love is lost, acceptance and forgiveness are essential for moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm lying alone with my head on the phone
I am by myself, laying down with my head resting on the telephone, as I am overwhelmed with thoughts of you.
Thinking of you till it hurts
My thoughts about you are so intense that it causes me emotional pain.
I know you hurt too but what else can we do
I understand that you are also experiencing pain, but we are unsure what the solution is.
Tormented and torn apart
We are suffering greatly and are fragmented because of our situation.
I wish I could carry your smile in my heart
I desire so deeply to preserve the happiness that you bring me within the depths of my being.
For the times when my life seems so low
During moments when my life feels particularly difficult and depressing.
It would make me believe what tomorrow could bring
This would renew my hope for a positive future.
When today doesn't really know, doesn't really know
When the present moment is uncertain and confusing.
I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I have depleted my supply of love, and I feel incomplete and directionless without you.
I know you were right, believing for so long
I acknowledge that you had faith in our love for an extended period of time, and it is established as factual.
I'm all out of love, what am I without you
I do not have any love to give or receive, therefore, I am uncertain what my identity is without you.
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong
It cannot be too late for me to admit my wrongdoing and apologize.
I want you to come back and carry me home
I yearn for your return, and for you to take me away from this place of solitude.
Away from these long, lonely nights
I desire a world without these extended, isolating times of darkness.
I'm reaching for you, are you feeling it too?
I am attempting to make contact with you, and I am curious if you also perceive our connection.
Does the feeling seem oh, so right?
Does the sensation of our camaraderie feel overwhelmingly positive and filling?
And what would you say if I called on you now
What would you express if I contacted you at this exact moment?
And said that I can't hold on?
If I mentioned the fact that I am incapable of continuing on in this manner?
There's no easy way, it gets harder each day
There are no effortless solutions, and each day becomes more difficult to move forward.
Please love me or I'll be gone, I'll be gone...
I am pleading for you to reciprocate your love for me, or else I will vanish.
Ooo, what are you thinking of?
I am curious about your thoughts and what currently occupies your mind.
Contributed by Bella W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.