Dave McKendry - “93 Million Miles”
Photo by Carina Antl
If you’ve found yourself wandering the Earth in search of some remarkably ambient and cinematic folk music, you’ve come to the right place. Ireland-based singer-songwriter Dave McKendry has just revealed his latest folksy masterpiece: “93 Million Miles.”
A warmly reverberated acoustic guitar opens up this number, each string plucked to perfection in order to establish the finest resounding setting. McKendry’s vocal is soon to follow, calmly and confidently delivering the lyrics with his gentle voice, which has likely been forged by the gods of storytelling. The track remains stripped-back and sparse for the verses, allowing the raw talent to engage the listener.
Some softly played piano begins to emerge, delicately accentuating the melody and acting as foreshadowing for the approaching elevation. And it is on the refrain where McKendry has completely won us over– the fantastic swells of multi-layered vocals wash across our souls, reminding us that it’s great to be alive. There are no lyrics on the hook, simply relying on emotion to guide us back for multiple listens.
The second half of the song comes complete with some gentle percussive elements, which eventually evolve into a fully-fleshed beat on the second chorus. And once the crescendo reaches its peak, “93 Million Miles” retreats back to its former, intimate self, concluding just as gently as it had arrived.
-HD