We previously featured Garrett Anthony Rice when he shared a unique and dramatic ode to Jimi Hendrix titled, Purple Man (For Jimi), so when we heard that the visionary artist was back with In The Darkness With The Spirit Of The Lake (a family tragedy), we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
In The Darkness With The Spirit Of The Lake (a family tragedy) opens with a sublime guitar soundscape, meditative at its core, and laced with sonic intricacies and astral shimmering details. Garrett shares the lyrics, “In the darkness of the lake, I know a soul that I can take, I see someone close, they will have to do…”
The opus expands with a metaphorical narrative, with epic electric guitar segues as Garrett conveys poetic prowess with intentional depth. Fans of David Bowie’s lyricism will be able to connect with what In The Darkness With The Spirit Of The Lake (a family tragedy), and there is no doubt that the song would be perfect for a range of sync placements that reflect the story.
The song is about a young boy who is drowning in a lake whilst a creepy supernatural spirit called a Púca appears and taunts him. The spirit tells stories about other victims that they have harmed – the boy cannot escape and dies, making the story both tragic and frightening. It mixes notions of real loss with Irish folklore about a dangerous spirit.
We love the timbre and delivery switch-ups, the acoustic interlude before a poignant and emotive middle eight is a sublime and hypnotic moment which really cements the story. Garrett shares how he wanted to spotlight a narrative that explores themes of loss, folklore and the supernatural. His storytelling really does remind us of Bob Dylan, particularly the song Hurricane.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added In The Darkness With The Spirit Of The Lake (a family tragedy) to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Garrett Anthony Rice, and anticipate future releases!