HALEY - “Walk Among the Dead”
Photo by Zoe Prinds-Flash
Saint Paul-based singer-songwriter HALEY has just released “Walk Among the Dead,” an enchanting pop tune that, upon pressing play, will immediately capture your interest and hold it tightly for just under three and a half minutes.
A superbly resounding ambience shall enter your ears at the onslaught of this number, like a distant siren that calls for your attention. Moments later, a lo-fi beat engulfs the soundscape, saturating the sonic space and it is not at all difficult to recognize the amount of patience that went into composing this track. The ambience then gives way to the tones of an organ, setting an epically ethereal mood for the entire production.
And as fantastic as all of these sounds might be– and as perfectly as they’ve all been placed– HALEY fully wins us over with her vocal. We do not wish to diminish her talent with quick comparisons, but if you are fans of Julien Baker or Maggie Rogers then you are going to feel right at home with “Walk Among the Dead.” There are moments when we even detect some hints of Stevie Nicks, especially as the lower harmony enters the arrangement.
This song is a dynamic masterpiece, ebbing and flowing as it winds itself around your emotions. Elements are added and removed to provide lifts and shifts and all we can do is want it to go on forever. And if all of these dramatic fluctuations in sound do turn you into a HALEY fan, then the layers of vocals will surely seal the deal. “Walk Among the Dead” will earn some spins from fans of all genres, from pop to folk, to indie rock and back again.
About the “Walk Among the Dead,” HALEY offers: “Over the course of 4 years, I wrote and rewrote this song. There are many versions of it, and this one feels the most settled. A love song about the treachery of social media, the fear and ultimate acceptance of death, and retribution. “I'll break yours if you break mine” could be about love, or maybe even someone's nose. Ultimately, the heart of the song is the transcendence of deep love.”
All we can do now is hope that HALEY sends us all of her future releases…
-HD