“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.
Hold Me Now
Sara Lov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pinned to my wall.
An image of you and of me and we're laughing and loving it all.
Look at our life now, tattered and torn.
We fuss and we fight and delight in the tears that we cry until dawn
Hold me now, warm my heart
Stay with me, let loving start,
You say I'm a dreamer, we're two of a kind
Both of us searching for some perfect world we know we'll never find
So perhaps I should leave here, yeah go far away
But you know that there's nowhere that I'd rather be than with you here today
Hold me now, warm my heart
Stay with me, let loving start,
Let loving start
Hold me now, warm my heart
Stay with me, let loving start,
Let loving start
You ask if I love you, well what can I say?
You know that I do and if this is just one of those games that we play
So I'll sing you a new song, please don't cry anymore
And then I'll ask your forgiveness,
Though I don't know just what I'm asking it for
Hold me now, warm my heart
Stay with me, let loving start,
Let loving start
Hold me now, warm my heart
Stay with me, let loving start,
Let loving start
The lyrics in Sara Lov's “Hold Me Now” convey a certain nostalgia and longing for a time when love was simpler and more joyful. The opening verse introduces a picture of the past where a couple was deeply in love, laughing and enjoying life. However, as the song progresses, we see how their relationship has become fractured and painful. They fight and argue, yet still find comfort in each other's presence. Lov's plea to “hold me now” communicates a yearning to return to the blissful love they once shared.
The second verse suggests that the two partners are not quite the same. They are both dreamers searching for a utopian world where love is effortless, but they both understand that life is not so simple. Lov's conviction to stay by her partner's side despite their constant disagreements shows that love can be complex yet still valuable. The final verse is particularly poignant as Lov confesses that she loves her partner and desires to start anew despite their past hurts.
Overall, “Hold Me Now” is a song about love’s endurance despite the obstacles that threaten to tear it apart. It is a call to hold on to the things that matter, even when it seems like everything is falling apart.
Line by Line Meaning
I have a picture,
There is a picture hanging on my wall that displays a moment of pure joy between us as we laugh and love.
Look at our life now, tattered and torn.
Our current situation and relationship are in shambles. We bicker and argue, and find solace in the tears we shed until the break of dawn.
Hold me now, warm my heart
Embrace me now, impart your warmth unto me and provide solace to my heart.
Stay with me, let loving start,
Remain by my side, let us rekindle the love that once existed between us and reignite the passion we once felt.
You say I'm a dreamer, we're two of a kind
You claim that I'm a daydreamer, but truthfully we are both individuals who yearn for an ideal world that we acknowledge is unattainable.
Both of us searching for some perfect world we know we'll never find
We both desire to discover a utopian world that we acknowledge cannot exist.
So perhaps I should leave here, yeah go far away
Maybe it would be better for me to depart from this place, and journey far away from you.
But you know that there's nowhere that I'd rather be than with you here today
Despite the current issues between us, there is nowhere else that I would rather be than in your presence today.
You ask if I love you, well what can I say?
You pose the question of whether or not I love you, but my emotions and actions should answer that question more than anything I can say.
So I'll sing you a new song, please don't cry anymore
I will sing you a new melody that hopefully erases your sorrow and tears.
And then I'll ask your forgiveness,
Subsequently, I will ask for your forgiveness for whatever I have done to hurt you.
Though I don't know just what I'm asking it for
Honestly, I am not entirely sure of what I did, but I still seek your pardon.
Contributed by Molly P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.