Moriah Bailey - The Ocean Life

In Our Headphones

KEXP

Music, Music Commentary

4.4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 January 2023

⏱️ 4 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Moriah Bailey - "The Ocean Life" from the 2022 album i tried words on Keeled Scales.

"i was hoping on the ocean life to pull through /
turns out i’ll have to say goodbye real soon."

On her sophomore full-length, i tried words, harpist/vocalist Moriah Bailey reflects on the end of a relationship, and the definitions and expectations of "femininity" that can play into not only romantic relationships, but friendships, jobs, or family.

Not only is this reflected in her words, but also on the expanded sound she presents on the new album. After recording the voice and harp parts in her former rental home in Tucson, AZ, she recruited Sarah Reid (violin), Ryan Robinson (percussion), and Ricky Tutaan (guitar) to contribute to those tracks, allowing them to follow their own "musical intuition and insight." The beautifully woven results provide a backdrop for her thoughtful lyrics, ruminating on the struggle of dualities: "yes/no, future/past, darkness/light, giving/taking, masculinity/femininity, wants/needs."

Today's Song of the Day is accompanied by a video directed by Lauren Reese. Bailey shares on her Instagram, "When we initially talked about collaborating on this, I let her listen to the whole album and choose a song that she was excited about. The video was filmed at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Elmer Fajardo and [Holly Pierce] assisted Lauren in shooting the video and providing me moral support in being in front of the camera. Ha. The result is a really compelling illustration of themes in the song that plays with shots of light, reflections, shadows, movement, and water."

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I've been drinking in the evening and knocking by the night
0:30.9	A little dark night, or he's sad, a little moonlight
0:48.9	And I've had his whole neck on the ocean line to go
1:03.9	Time's on, I'll tell you, say you're bad, you're so
1:19.9	And I'll run in rear of the shed, nothing left to lose sight
1:29.9	Time your guys try to hold
1:37.9	I'll throw, treat up in the wash, and sit on the corner of you
1:52.9	And you'll hold it true, purple green, or warm blue
1:59.9	Eyes and fire, it's too far away, you
2:06.9	To a cold stream of good vibes and beauty to lose
2:16.9	And I've had his whole breath on the ocean line to go
2:33.9	Time's on, I'll tell you, say you're bad, you're so
2:47.9	And I'll run in rear of the shed, nothing left to lose sight
2:57.9	Time your guys try to hold
3:03.9	Won't you please let me down?
3:11.9	Won't you please let me down?
3:19.9	Can't you please let me down?
3:26.9	Won't you please let me down?

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