“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.
La Bambola
Sara Lov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girar come fossi una bambola
Poi mi butti giù poi mi butti giù
Come fossi una bambola.
Non ti accorgi quando piango,
Quando sono triste e stanca
Tu pensi solo per te.
No, del mio amore non ridere.
Non ci gioco più quando
Giochi tu sai far male
Da piangere.
Da stasera la mia vita
Nelle mani di un ragazzo
No, non la metterò più.
No ragazzo no, tu non
Mi metterai tra le dieci
Bambole che non ti
Piacciono più
Oh no, oh no.
Tu mi fai girar tu mi fai
Girar come fossi una bambola
Poi mi butti giù poi mi butti giù
Come fossi una bambola.
Non ti accorgi quando piango,
Quando sono triste e stanca
Tu pensi solo per te.
No ragazzo no, tu non
Mi metterai tra le dieci
Bambole che non ti
Piacciono più.
The lyrics to Sara Lov's song La Bambola are about a girl who is trapped in a loveless relationship with a boy who treats her like a doll. The girl is constantly being spun around and thrown to the ground, like a puppet on a string. She cries and feels sad and tired, but the boy doesn't seem to care about her feelings at all. She tells him that he shouldn't laugh at her love, and that she won't play along with his hurtful games anymore. She realizes that she deserves better and that she won't let this boy be the one who determines her happiness. She won't let him throw her away like one of his old toys.
The lyrics of La Bambola describe a dynamic of power imbalance between the two people involved in the relationship. The girl is unhappy with the way she is being treated and wants to break free of it. She understands that the boy is only thinking about himself and his own pleasure, and not considering her emotions. The song is about empowerment and taking control of one's own life, not letting anyone else determine their worth.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu mi fai girar tu mi fai Girar come fossi una bambola
You spin me around like I'm a toy doll
Poi mi butti giù poi mi butti giù Come fossi una bambola.
Then you throw me down like I'm disposable.
Non ti accorgi quando piango, Quando sono triste e stanca Tu pensi solo per te.
You don't notice when I cry, when I'm sad and tired. You only think of yourself.
No, ragazzo no, no ragazzo No, del mio amore non ridere.
No, boy no, don't laugh at my love.
Non ci gioco più quando Giochi tu sai far male Da piangere.
I won't play this game anymore when you're the one playing. You know how to hurt me until I cry.
Da stasera la mia vita Nelle mani di un ragazzo No, non la metterò più.
From tonight on, I won't put my life in the hands of a boy anymore.
No ragazzo no, tu non Mi metterai tra le dieci Bambole che non ti Piacciono più
No boy no, you won't put me among the ten dolls that you don't like anymore.
Oh no, oh no.
Oh no, oh no.
Contributed by Eli N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.