Burr Island - “Distant Stars”
UK-based duo Burr Island have that rare gift for making music that sounds like the records your parents used to listen to, while also possessing the heart of modernity. From Simon & Garfunkel to Fleetwood Mac, we feel that within their latest single, “Distant Stars,” every music lover will find something to enjoy.
The track begins nice and stripped-back, with just the strums of an acoustic guitar, but the vocals appear very quickly. “Distant Stars” is sung in harmony for its entirety, lending to the listener that sweet vintage vibe that is bound to make you recall the days of yore– no matter if that is four or forty years ago. We don’t have to wait long for the rest of the instruments to show up; at just past thirty seconds in, we are joined by the drums, bass, and piano, elevating this track from a raw folk song to just outside the edge of classic rock.
For us, the thing that sealed the deal were the lyrics. They range from introspective to borderline melancholic and they are easy to relate to because they are full of the thoughts most people have already had, at one time or another. For example: “Last night when we were lying in my bed, we died just a little until we were born again” might conjure up some emotional memories for many listeners, but the track goes on to ponder dying young and growing old, which builds that old, familiar bridge between performer and audience.
And once you press play, be sure to stick around for the last raw, bare-bones minute, when the production draws back to reveal the spirit of the song. It’s quite beautiful and will likely cause you to play “Distant Stars” a couple more times before coming up for air and rejoining the rest of the world.
-TM