Michael Isaak - “hey boy”
Photo by Em
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Michael Isaak has just released the heartfelt sounds of “hey boy,” a song written as a message to his younger self. To be quite honest, it immediately earned a place on our blog for its subject matter alone.
The track fades in with some elegant ambience before making room for the raw sounds of an acoustic guitar. The soundscape is imbued with what appears to be the audio from an old family video, which only heightens the message contained in the lyrics.
Isaak’s vocal arrives, bringing with it the warm, endearing sounds that have become the hallmark of indie folk. They appear to be double-tracked, which always tends to score points with us, and they, at times, enter your ears as though they are simply a gentle walk down memory lane.
A lead guitar appears, offering weight and depth to the production, delicately accentuating the melody atop the predominantly bare arrangement. A substantial dose of reverb lets the track maintain a dreamlike quality and as the drums arrive around the midpoint, the production expands to the far reaches of the sonic space.
At just over three minutes in runtime, Michael Isaak reminds listeners the importance of loving life and the journey required to get to where/ who you are today. If you’re looking for a sympathetic guide to help you along your way, do yourself a favor and press play on “hey boy.”
-HD