Gentle Sparrow - “Only Love in My Heart”

Eastern Ontario-based singer-songwriter Gentle Sparrow has just released the folksy “Only Love in My Heart,” an earnest piece of music that utilizes an affirmation for strength.

The song begins with an intimate performance of delicately strummed acoustic guitar, followed shortly by Gentle Sparrow’s confident vocal. His spectacular voice sings us the words we so often have in our hearts as we search for the strength to traverse the turbulence of mere existence.

The chorus invites a gently layered vocal double, as well as an expansion in the arrangement. And it is at this point that our ears are joined by some deep bass and the carefree notes of a piano. In the distance, some quiet percussion emerges, providing just the right amount of forward momentum.

The middle eight brings about the tasteful display of some reverberating whistles, successfully widening the entire soundscape. The resounding tones of electric guitar pass through the arrangement, the tails of which provide a magnificent ambience. Between this and the additional layers of vocals, listeners are served copious amounts of ear candy.

The final verse is reduced to just the sounds of an organ and Gentle Sparrow’s voice, allowing a good dose of dynamic fluctuation before we are carried off into the richness of the concluding chorus. “Only Love in My Heart” comes across as though a prayer that has been set to music and we might all become better versions of ourselves if we would simply choose to sing along.

-HD