Hazlett - “Missionary Feelings”
After releasing his LP, Bloom Mountain, back in January, Hazlett has been giving the world a steady flow of singles in anticipation of another upcoming body of work. Last month, we received the first taste of this with “Blame The Moon,” so it only makes sense that we would feature his latest offering to the world of indie folk music, “Missionary Feelings,” a vibrant, acoustically-driven masterpiece.
By now, we’re assuming that everyone in the world has heard at least one song by Hazlett, but if you’ve been living beneath the proverbial rock, pressing play on “Missionary Feelings” will lead you through a slideshow of your own raw emotions. The manner in which it captures the tones of the acoustic guitar is, itself, poetic– hearing its initial, simple strums will immediately capture the interest of all music lovers, especially those keen on introspection. The atmospheric pad that colors in the background is successful in conjuring the ethereal and cinematic mood that we have all come to know and love from Hazlett’s work.
One of the reasons we love his music is, of course, his capacity for delivering a memorable vocal performance. And we’re not quite sure how he does it, but, from the very first word, it’s always easy to identify a Hazlett song. Within “Missionary Feelings,” his voice is layered and dreamlike, which allows the arrangement to fill out the soundscape without the use of additional instruments. It is within these various layers and textures that he somehow manages to hold a mirror up to our own emotions, and the chances of you finding bits of yourself within this song are quite substantial.
Of course, it would not be a Hazlett song without a few surprises, the first of which is the vibey electric guitar that appears near the end of the first verse. And though it simply should not be scientifically possible, on the refrain we hear even more layers of his vocal, as well as some round notes from the bass, altogether providing an elevation to the chorus that is, in a word, mind-blowing. Careful listeners might catch glimpses of some soft percussion, but the falsetto that closes these sections is bound to bring everyone back for multiple spins. The entire production has been coated in a thick layer of glorious reverb, which only amplifies its sublime elegance.
About the track, Hazlett adds: “I read this theory about how being stuck in the middle is the worst place to find yourself, where things are fine but not quite bad enough to make a change. But even if that change throws you in the wrong direction at least you wind up there faster and finding what’s meant to be sooner than if you stayed.” At this point, it’s safe to say that we are Hazlett superfans, being that we have now featured every single song that he’s sent over to us. And once you’ve heard “Missionary Feelings,” we’re confident that you’ll feel the same.
-HD