The Satellite Station - “Walls”
USA-based Travis Rue, aka The Satellite Station, claims to be “an optimist who writes mostly sad songs.” If we were not already such big fans, he would have definitely won us over with this description. Rue arrives on the blog today with his latest concoction of indie-folk goodness, “Walls.”
The song begins with some delicious servings from our favorite folksy food groups: acoustic guitar, vintage-tinged bass, and some sweet sounds pulled from a harmonica. And if you’ve been keeping up with our blog posts, you’ll know that we are big fans of modern music that sounds timeless, so when “Walls” enters your ears, you will be transported to the simpler times of yesteryear, while also holding hope for the future of songwriting.
The real prize here is when Rue begins singing us his story. If you, for some reason, have never heard The Satellite Station, prepare yourselves for what folk music should actually sound like. You will not find any autotune here, nor any other means of modern production sorcery, but you will witness, instead, a man who was born for this brand of storytelling. Every word comes across as though carefully selected for your ears and every inflection gives us a reason to hold onto them as gospel.
Careful listeners will notice the lead guitar offering some notes in the early portion of the tune, letting us know that the arrangement has not yet reached its maximum capacity. A piano joins just moments ahead of the drum kit and the production elevates to a richness that is very satisfying to experience. And for all of you songwriters, please take note when that hook comes ‘round– this is how you do it.
Overall, “Walls” is a tune that should be studied just as much as it should be enjoyed. And with that, we cannot wait for the next release from The Satellite Station.
-TM