Arriving to relatively little fanfare from the artist herself is a new song by Jenny Colquitt - "Hold Your Light Up".It is fully 20 seconds of a recurring piano theme before Jenny comes in - her voice while not exactly a whisper is certainly a little subdued and almost spoken. The lyrics equally point to someone working their way through personal issues.
"I feel so unworthy
Tell me why I’m hurting
Don’t let me lose myself today.
The second verse sees her voice start to rise in volume and further up the scale, if that opening verse was spoken the second is most definitely sung, in a beautiful heavenly voice.
They say time heals everybody
But I need you to love me
And hold me like I’m worthy today."
As the chorus comes in Jenny's trademark, delivery at volume kicks in, though the backing is predominatly still the recurring piano, the lyrics speak of someone stuck going through the motions.
And please don’t leave me alone I’m feeling worthless
I’m running round in circles
And burning everything I own
Please don’t leave me alone.
As the chorus ends there is percussion, and a prominent electric guitar makes its presence felt.
The next verse encapsulates Jenny's writing at it's best, we join a conversation, but we know what is being said even though we only really hear it from Jenny's perspective. It seems a retort to the platitudes offered when someone is in a crisis - and turns into a plea, that the only support she really needs is from the person opposite her.
"Don’t you think I know that it’s only for this moment
That I need you to let me know
And I’ll say I will keep this fight up
If you will hold your light up
And learn to never let me go
Sonically things really explode at this point , Jenny's plea of
"Please don't leave me alone" is repeated 4 lines with a power that could all but shatter glass.
The band raises it's volume to be a 3 piece orchestra, the drums dramatic, the guitar loud and prominent cutting through the swathes of keyboards.
The final part of the song sees everything return to the subdued nature of the start, the piano once more the prominent instrument playing out over a heartbeat of percussion. Jenny's voice once more returning to a breathy whisper.
"And I’ll say I will keep this fight up
If you will hold your light up
And learn to never let me go
Please don’t leave me alone."
It seems powerful and personal yet is a message to us all to hold our respective lights up and offer support as sometimes that additional bit of belief and backing might be all that is required. It's a bold concept to squeeze into a four minute tune, it definitely takes you on a journey.