The next installment leading to Jenny Colquitt's 2024 album "Staring at the Moon" has arrived in the shape of "Fallin' Angels", a long time favourite from her live set that would often end with the audience singing along on the chorus at the finale to a set.
Jenny has cited Eva Cassidy as an influence and the opening instrumental section has a touch of Eva about it as if it could segue into "Fields Of Gold" however Jenny has different matters to address.
"Find me in the Eden where the lake is never cold,
Where the lessons of forgiveness are the strength within our bones,
While the presence of the criminals is making us feel old,
And the bodies of the peaceful hold a secret, never told"
The lyrics of the first 3 verses are sung with a gradual rising in intensity with Jenny hitting a number of targets such as consumerism and our ability to ignore the effects of global warming,
"While the selfish and the greedy light a pathway to the gold,
And the fall of Mother Nature is a story to be told."
The chorus is a rallying call for people to come together
"Let’s not fight, let’s unite,
We are Fallin’ angels tonight,
And we’re beyond the wall."
Coming out of the chorus is a wonderful chugga chugga bass that resets the mood for a new set of targets reflecting society's ailments - ongoing mental health issues and people feeling that there is a general lack of hope
"There’s a demon in the forest and he’s hiding over there,
Where he’s counting all his victims of depression and despair,
Pulling patience from the restless who are haunted by their nerve,
Taking optimism from the people who are leading with their hurt."
Remarkably Jenny has managed to evoke that communal gig feeling by choosing to eschew using special effects to make up a supporting choir, instead adding in audio clips of her fan base singing the relevant parts for the final big choruses - it gives the track an extra dimension and the feeling of a crowd truly coming together, standing up to say "Enough is enough". The band also rise to the occasion, turning those final choruses into something stirring and anthemic that people could rally behind. The final chorus is left mainly to Jenny and her guitar to softly play out - and she leaves us with a final reminder, as if it were needed that "We're beyond the wall".
It is a lot to address within the confines of a song and it will be interesting to see where this track sits in the overall album - yet if only the core central message hits home then it will surely have done its job.