3:11
Becoming a Jackal, 2010
Written by Conor O'Brien?
This "band" is, I read, the moniker of Irish musician Conor O’Brien, and the song is a delicate, melancholy slice of atmospheric pop. Echoing the emotional landscapes of Radiohead and early Coldplay, it blends lush acoustic textures of layered piano and gently jangling guitar with O’Brien’s clear, plaintive tenor. The arrangement builds subtly, with reverb-washed harmonies and restrained dynamics that underscore the emotional distance at the heart of the lyrics. The song sketches a portrait of two people emotionally adrift, unable to bridge the silence between them: "He lies awake in his bed every night devising ways to conceal the strain / She never tells of her midnight fears or admits that she does the same." The elegantly muted instrumentation and intimate vocal phrasing mirror that quiet ache, making the tune feel both gorgeous and quietly devastating.