“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.
Winter Is Blue
Sara Lov Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living is gone
Some are just sleeping
In spring they'll go on
Our love is dead
Nothing but crying
Love will not find even
One more new morning
Why must I stay here
Rain comes I'm sitting here
Watching love moving
Away into yesterday
Winter is blue
Everything's leaving
Fires are now burning
And life has reason
I am alone
Waiting for nothing
If my heart freezes
I won't feel the breaking
Why must I stay here
Rain comes I'm sitting here
Watching love moving
Away into yesterday
The lyrics of Sara Lov's song, "Winter Is Blue" convey a sense of sadness and loneliness. The opening line, "Winter is blue" implies a melancholy tone that carries throughout the rest of the song. The use of the phrase "Living is gone" further emphasizes the singer's bleak outlook on life. The lines "Some are just sleeping in spring, they'll go on" suggest a sense of hopelessness and resignation. The singer seems to have lost faith in the possibility of new beginnings.
The song then shifts focus to a failed love affair. The line "Our love is dead, nothing but crying" conveys the pain and heartbreak the singer feels. She laments that "Love will not find even one more new morning." The imagery of rain and love both moving away into yesterday underscores the finality of the situation. The singer is left alone and waiting for nothing. Even if her heart freezes, she won't feel the breaking, suggesting a deep numbness and disconnection from the world.
Overall, "Winter Is Blue" is a song that captures the sense of loss and emptiness that can come with the end of a relationship. It speaks to the universal human experience of heartache and the search for meaning in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Winter is blue
The winter season symbolizes sadness and loneliness.
Living is gone
Life seems to have ceased to exist, everything around the singer appears lifeless.
Some are just sleeping
Some of the people around the singer may appear to be sleeping, perhaps signifying a metaphorical death.
In spring they'll go on
In spring, the season of renewal, they will continue with their lives in a new beginning.
Our love is dead
The connection between two people has come to an end where the emotions are not shared anymore.
Nothing but crying
All that's left in this relationship is sadness and tears.
Love will not find even
Bleakness now surrounds the concept of love to the point that it's hard for the singer to even consider the idea of its existence in the future.
One more new morning
The hope of another day showing promise is something that the artist has lost faith in.
Why must I stay here
The artist is questioning why he/she has to exist in a world of desolation and hopelessness.
Rain comes I'm sitting here
Rain symbolizes sadness coming down, and the artist is stationary with no hope of any change.
Watching love moving
The singer is seeing the love he/she once had moving away figuratively from the heart.
Away into yesterday
The love once shared is now a thing of the past with no hope of renewal in the future.
Everything's leaving
The singer sees his/her life slipping away, surrounded by everything that was once meaningful but now is disappearing.
Fires are now burning
The world is consumed by a chaos of sadness and destruction with no hope for healing.
And life has reason
Although there are disappointments, the singer still sees some purpose to continue living and believing in life.
I am alone
The artist is solitary and without any real human connection or support.
Waiting for nothing
The artist is waiting for a change, but with no hope of a different outcome or result.
If my heart freezes
The singer is so numb to life that even if his/her heart stops beating, he/she wouldn't feel the pain of it breaking apart.
I won't feel the breaking
There is a complete lack of concern for the pain and sadness that comes with loss.
Contributed by Nora F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.