Matt DeAngelis has created something truly valuable in the form of the song that turns anxiety during the pandemic era into a spiritual exercise on faith, patience, and contentment despite the underlying uncertainty. It is music that will not answer simply and provide the real spiritual nourishment.
The instrumentation is instantly attractive due to its advanced eclecticism. Rapid piano tonings play in time with the mandolin flourishes that make the tune an entertaining ride between the coziness of folk music and the vigor of rock music. The wide range of instrumental palette, including acoustic and rocks and a slight touch of jazz, is not chaotic. Instrumentation takes significant space, stacking upon each other to form actual textural richness. The composition is truly sophisticated and the influence of Steve Howe, the mandolin, gives the set of personality and at the same time is easy to listen to.
The delivery of the voice by DeAngelis has dramatic elements but does not tend toward a histrionic production. He wields the emotional environment very subtly, so that the production and the lyrics could be useful, and it did not bombard with sheer power. His voice is only part of one well-coordinated whole–confident, but cooperative.
What is thematically outstanding about Livin’ It is the denial of cynicism. Instead of becoming caught up in the uncertainty of the pandemic times, the song finds the hope in faith-based vision. The lyrics address authentic mental health challenges – any person who has struggled to capture their anxieties and fears can relate to this song – and suggests that spiritual foundations provide valuable relief. This is the weakness, yet it is offset with a sense of authentic optimism based on life experience.
These duality is supported by the choices made during the production. The alterations of the time, which are considered to be not only bizarre and inconsistent (at least, some inspired by the example of the Gentle Giant) but also affect the song and make it impossible to anticipate the next occurrence, reflect the inherent unpredictability of the life. But the general folky vibe – reminiscent of early Cat Stevens – grounds it all in the real world, in pure human sincerity. Livin’ It” works due to the fact that DeAngelis knows that authentic spirituality is not the escapism, but instead present in the real world, in the very complexity of it. Genuinely compelling.
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