It is something particularly special to see a group grow in front of your eyes and John Lebanon’s “Mizuri” is a song that feels like you have made it just in time to see a band at its very peak. This Boston indie band has made something that walks that line of fragile-yet-truthful introspection with something real and heartfelt, which makes it feel like the most grown-up song they have ever made.
The introduction of Gaby Carvajal Poisson as a vocalist changes their music in a number of minor but also important ways. Her tender, sensitive voice adds this low-key element that does not take anything away or contrast the established dynamics of the band. There is something subtle about her performance that fits the spirit of the song that explores faith and self discovery without ever being vulnerable or doubtful.
Peculiar attention should be paid to the instrumental work in the present case The arpeggios in the piano are so twinkly and sentimental that you are immediately attracted to it and the clean guitar plays just add more texture without overriding the intimacy. The production decisions- such as recording shakers in stereo motion- reflect a band that is thinking deeply about how to craft immersive experiences as opposed to recording tracks.
The thread that I find most surprising is that of the Japanese influence both in the title and the songwriting style. The beauty of Mizuri can be seen as enmeshed with the hardship, and that is why it does not seem so appropriative. The cultural allusion is not an aesthetic choice but rather an element that supports the main conflict of the song identity/reinvention.
The ease of the melody ensures this is instantly appealing-it is the sort of song that makes you want to sing along with it even at first pass. But there is spiritual gravitas behind all that surface appeal. The motives of overcoming despair and finding inner light might sound cliche, but the band addresses them honestly, which makes them resonate. Mizuri implies that John Lebanon is moving in the right direction towards something bigger and greater making music to be enjoyed and also listened to.
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