“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.
I Want to Vanish
Sara Lov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is my fondest wish
To go where I cannot be captured
Laid on a decorated dish
Even in splendor this curious fate
Is more than I care to surrender
Now it's too late
You arrange the mirrors and the spools
To snare the rare and precious jewels
That were only made of paste
If you should stumble upon my last remark
I'm crying in the wilderness
I'm trying my best to make it dark
How can I tell you I'm rarer than most
I'm certain as a lost dog
Pondering a sign post
I want to vanish
This is my last request
I've given you the awful truth
Now give me my rest
The lyrics of Sara Lov's "I Want to Vanish" speak of a desire to disappear from the world, to escape from the pressures and expectations forced upon individuals in society. The opening lines express the singer's ultimate wish to vanish from the world, to be free from being pursued and caught like a prized possession. Even living in luxury, the singer wants to be free from attachment, "more than I care to surrender." The idea of being "captured / Laid on a decorated dish" suggests a sense of objectification and objecthood that the singer rejects.
The next lines seem to address the way society compels individuals to compete with one another, and to conform to superficial standards of beauty and worth. The metaphor of the mirror and the spools suggest a crafting or creation of a facade or image, in order to present oneself as possessing "rare and precious jewels // That were only made of paste." Poseurs who pretend to be something they are not catch the singer's aching sense of loneliness and sense of worth beyond the surface level.
The song's bridge speaks of the singer's attempts to communicate to the world her uniqueness and value, despite feeling invisible or ignored, "crying in the wilderness." The feeling of being "rarer than most / I'm certain as a lost dog / Pondering a sign post" refers to a sense of displacement, of being out of step with the majority. In the final stanza, the singer reiterates her desire to vanish, as it is now time to rest. The truth has been spoken, and the singer has reached a point of no return.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to vanish
The singer wishes to disappear completely.
This is my fondest wish
Vanishing is the singer's strongest desire.
To go where I cannot be captured
The singer seeks a place where they cannot be found or caught.
Laid on a decorated dish
The singer does not want to be used for someone else's gain or benefit.
Even in splendor this curious fate
Even in a beautiful and perfect life, the desire to vanish remains.
Is more than I care to surrender
The singer is not willing to give up their desire to vanish.
Now it's too late
The singer feels like time has passed and their wish may not come true.
Whether in wonder or indecent haste
Whether through curiosity or desperation,
You arrange the mirrors and the spools
One tries various methods to try to catch the singer.
To snare the rare and precious jewels
The singer is a rare and valuable find.
That were only made of paste
Those who think they have caught the singer have actually captured something worthless.
If you should stumble upon my last remark
The singer makes a final statement before going away.
I'm crying in the wilderness
The singer is alone and not understood by anyone.
I'm trying my best to make it dark
The singer is making it difficult for others to find them.
How can I tell you I'm rarer than most
The singer feels unique and different from others.
I'm certain as a lost dog
The singer is sure of their desire to vanish, despite feeling lost.
Pondering a sign post
The singer is considering their options and what direction to take in life.
This is my last request
The singer is making a final plea before vanishing.
I've given you the awful truth
The singer has revealed their true feelings and desires.
Now give me my rest
The singer wants to be left alone and allowed to vanish in peace.
Contributed by Sebastian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.