Life after the end of a romantic relationship seems to go one of two ways. For some people, the time of resentment towards the person that they once loved begins. Contact is cut and the two will rarely talk ever again. For others, the relationship may be cut off romantically, but their platonic relationship is given a chance to blossom. Sometimes this type of relationship is just as, if not more rewarding, than their romantic relationship. For Chloë Lewer and Elliott McKee, known to their fans as Charity Children, their romantic relationship may be gone, but a new chapter begins for the group on the track, ‘We Loved’. The track is one of two songs on their upcoming record that acts as a celebration of their break up, written by one member of the group and to the other.
Not only is the song acting as a transition from their romantic relationship to a more platonic working friendship, but also a musical one as the band lets go of their indie folk influences and trades those sounds in a more diverse Alternative Pop direction. Their sound transitioning should not be a concern for fans of the group though, as they are able to still incorporate their charm and ideas into this new direction in a very refreshing manner. The track feels and sounds like a very nostalgic trip down memory lane, not only lyrically but musically, as the listener is transported with a very charming guitar line that will immediately nest it’s way into your mind. The track also has a wandering piano/ keys line throughout that also feels like it is straight out of a transformative dream one of the members had at one point in their life. Of course we can’t talk about the nostalgic qualities this track possesses without mentioning the moody saxophone solo in the middle of this bittersweet song. Musically, this is such a rewarding experience for the listener and it has all of the qualities of a track that will seep its way into your subconscious.
We cannot talk about this song without mentioning the songwriting qualities. Lyrically, this feels like a mature realization that one of the members of the band had. Just because your romantic relationship is gone does not necessarily mean that everything you loved about that person goes with it. Even though your love goes away, the respect, your memories of that person and happy moments don’t have to be gone as the flame dies out, and this track and the overall performance by Chloë and Elliott exemplifies that. This song is incredibly cute, thoughtful and somewhat bone chilling at the same time. The power is all in the performance on this particular track and you can really tell that these two have an incredible amount of respect and trust with one another, and the fact that this song acts like a letter from one of them to the other really translates well in their delivery of the song.
Accompanied by an incredible, retro music video centered around their love of vintage music video choreography, VHS technology, and their shared custody dog (who steals our hearts and the show entirely), Amy, this accompanying video really highlights the visual artistry that both members of Chastity Children are so skilled at. The video could easily be an article on it’s own, but I am going to refrain. It’s delightfully cheesy, heart wrenching and humorous all at the same time and is a must watch even for people who don’t entirely buy into the power of the music video in this day in age.
‘We Loved’ does everything that it seeks out to do as a song. It’s a sweet reflection on the power that a relationship has to teach you about yourself and the world as a whole, and there are many groups that wouldn’t have had the honesty or even the vulnerability that it takes to release a song of this nature. It’s the type of song that will strike a chord with so many different people and maybe will even get them to think about their past relationships in a different, more positive light. The album that the single comes from, entitled Almost Young is slated for a late summer release and if this track is any evidence for what is to come from the group, fans of the band and I alike are in for a very special treat. Charity Children are capable of tackling relationships, romantic and non romantic alike in a very unique way, and this critic cannot wait to hear more examples of this and their skill as songwriters in the coming months.
Listen to 'We Loved', from Charity Children's upcoming album, Almost Young, below:
Tags: #CharityChildren #WeLoved #TrackReview #MusicReview #Music #AltPop #Alternative #AlternativePop #2021 #2021music #musicreviewer
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