“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.
Just Beneath the Chords
Sara Lov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
how the hand that touches
is full of needles
but you don't feel them
Notice
how you never feel it
how you never see it
until you pass it
to know me and my thorns
you will find me
just beneath the chords
it was given to me
and I couldn't love anything more
it was given to me
Notice
how the star that shines us
it burns and blinds us
wherever we move
notice how you love the blindness
the burn reminds you
that you can feel too
you just need to sleep
to know me
to know more
you will find me just beneath the chords
it was given to me
and I couldn't love anything more
it was given to me
and I couldn't love anything more
it was given to me
In Sara Lov's song Just Beneath the Chords, the lyrics convey the idea of hidden pain and beauty. The opening lines "Notice how the hand that touches is full of needles but you don't feel them" suggest a sense of numbness and desensitization towards the things that cause pain, as if they have become familiar and almost comforting. The lines "you don't need a key to know me and my thorns, you will find me just beneath the chords" hint at the idea that the source of this pain can be found just beneath the surface, beneath the beauty of music (the chords), and that it does not need to be deliberately sought out in order to be discovered.
The imagery continues with "Notice how the star that shines us, it burns and blinds us wherever we move, notice how you love the blindness, the burn reminds you that you can feel too." Here, the star is a metaphor for something that is powerful and blinding, but also dangerous. The singer suggests that sometimes we may seek out experiences that cause pain as a reminder that we are alive and capable of feeling, even if it hurts us. The repetition of the lines "it was given to me, and I couldn't love anything more" at the end of each verse adds a sense of acceptance and even gratitude for the pain and beauty that comes with life, as if it is a gift that cannot be returned.
Overall, Just Beneath the Chords is a song that explores the power of hidden pain and beauty, and the ways in which we may seek out experiences that cause us discomfort as a reminder that we are alive and capable of feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
Notice how the hand that touches is full of needles but you don't feel them
Pay attention to how the person touching you could potentially cause you pain, but you don't feel it right away.
Notice how you never feel it how you never see it until you pass it
You may not realize the harm someone has caused until after the fact.
you don't need a key to know me and my thorns you will find me just beneath the chords
You do not need any special access to get to know me and my flaws, they are right underneath the surface.
it was given to me and I couldn't love anything more
I was gifted this situation or circumstance and I couldn't be more grateful.
Notice how the star that shines us it burns and blinds us wherever we move
Take note of how success and recognition can be both blinding and painful as we navigate through life.
notice how you love the blindness the burn reminds you that you can feel too
Even though the pain and blindness that comes with success can be desirable, it is important to remember that you can still feel and experience emotions.
you just need to sleep to know me to know more
Sometimes the best way to understand and get to know someone better is to simply rest and take time to reflect.
it was given to me and I couldn't love anything more
Reinforcing the previous line, stating that this gift or situation I have been given couldn't make me happier.
it was given to me and I couldn't love anything more
Reiteration of the gratitude towards the opportunity or situation received.
Contributed by Kennedy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.