Upon your first run through “The Weather,” one might be a bit surprised and perhaps slightly caught off guard. You see, fans of Lawrence may have become accustomed to a lively, vibrant and bombastic presentation featuring in your face instrumentation and impassioned, boisterous vocals. With “The Weather,” we instead get a song that is far more reserved – in a sense, it almost feels restrained. But, as you continue to play the new single back – yes, it’s just as addictive as past Lawrence cuts, so you’ll be running it back – it becomes evident how this surface level restraint only serves to add to the complete package that is “The Weather.”
It’s a truly beautiful song, one that evokes waves of emotional response from all those who do tune in. The simple, resonating melody couples with the moving lyricism, creating a wonderfully raw and powerful aura around the record. As the words sink deeper into your head, heart and spirit, it’s increasingly evident how the stripped down essence of “The Weather” makes the song all the more powerful. It doesn’t require layered multi-instrumentation or gut wrenching crooning – the song remains calm, softly rising and dipping with perfect timing, tugging on the listeners heartstrings the whole way through.
And yes, there is a very clear, almost painful (but a painful that’s OK because it’s from a song, you know?) emotional pull that comes about courtesy of “The Weather.” You’ll experience and feel the hurt, confusion and the battle between despair and confusion alongside Gracie as she journeys through the seasons of the song. It’s hard to let go and it’s hard to move on, especially when the emotional ties manifest through everyday happenings like changes in the weather. But, hey, on the bright side…breathtaking music like this stems from these experiences and emotions. And I’m certainly grateful for that.
Gracie’s ethereal vocals are accompanied by the daunting, mellow march of Clyde’s keys. And, man, the instrumentation carries the same energy of the vocals, offering up a somber backdrop that hangs like a dark cloud over the lyrics. Together, listeners are able to experience the ways in which music can becomeĀ powerful and moving without relying on volume, bass or flashy bells and whistles. ‘Cause this track has it’s peaks, where the energy and the vibe is lifted, but it remains mellow and melodic even at it’s most dramatic moments.
Taylor Meacham handles the directorial duties for “The Weather,” bringing the new single to life with a lovely hybrid of jarring animation and dark scenery. Honestly, I love how the team juxtaposes the light and the dark, the seasons of the song with the natural season, taking this emotional record and putting such a unique spin on the visual. The IRL images dance, quite literally, hand in hand with the animation, as the sun does it’s best to shine some light on our protagonist.
“The Weather” is available now on all your favorite streaming platforms.
Press play on the visual below.
