Quiet Takes - “No One Again”

Photo by Graham Tolbert

Out of the Midwest, singer-songwriter Sarah Magill, aka Quiet Takes, arrives on our blog with the delightful sounds of “No One Again,” the focus single from her new LP, Regrets Only. The album was recorded just a few hours north of UpToHear headquarters, but regardless of where you’re from, Magill’s craft beholds a sound that feels like home.

“No One Again” gets started with a few notes from a lone piano, then quickly bursts to life with an intimately lo-fi beat. The initial arrangement is sparse enough to have been performed in your living room, yet possesses enough weight to shake your windows if you choose to crank it up a bit. Magill’s delicate vocal arrives with the rhythm, raw and emotive as she delivers poetic lines that effortlessly ignite an introspective journey through solitude.

By the time the hook comes around, the production has expanded to include some round notes from a bass, as well as a subdued pad that wondrously fills in the cracks. An extraordinary vocal harmony also emerges, performed by S. Carey (Bon Iver), remarkably complimenting Magill’s lead– seriously, these voices were made for each other and we suddenly want more of them in everything. And before you know it, “No One Again” has somehow quadrupled in sonic size.

From its almost subliminal horn section, to the thoroughly enchanting layers of vocals, “No One Again” seems to, strangely enough, encompass moments reminiscent of Hall & Oates’ slow jams and, simultaneously, all the raw power of your favorite folk music. This should be the opening track to any introvert’s playlist, as “No One Again” has been emotionally crafted with care by our new favorite nomadic song maker, Quiet Takes.

-HD