[Music Review] Serenity Stewart with ‘TimeKeeper’ “a really charming presentation and energy to it”
This track has a really charming presentation and energy to it. The sound seems to fuse the almightiness of Broadway with a far more personal touch of singer-songwriter realness. The music is all at once big and intimate, feeling as if it’s being performed live, right there in the room with you, but also clearly underlining the fact that this would work brilliantly in a large theatre with a full orchestra and a lot of dazzling imagery and movement.
The song itself has a pretty reflective nature to it. The subject matter seems to ponder life itself, the passing of time, making plans, seeing them change. The lyrics touch on a number of issues about wasting time and worrying about the wrong things. Often the big sound of orchestral jazz can overpower lyrics that are soaked in deeply human emotions, but in this case the leading voice has been placed beautifully. The way in which the instrumental riff follows the melody of the vocal along actually works really well here, it keeps your focus on those words, and the more you listen, the more you realise how close to home these words really are. The concept of the song is relevant to all of us, it’s very easy to relate to, it makes a lot of sense, it’s inspiring.
Along with the upbeat and joyful energy of the musicality, the inspiration settles effectively. You’re not inclined to simply dance and ignore the ideas, but merely to consider them, without being brought down or overcome with melancholy thoughts. It’s quite refreshing to listen to the meeting of the big band, the positive musical energy, and the reality of human existence and realisation. It’s a great song, there are many lines that hit quite hard but it’s all done in a really entertaining and enjoyable way.
By Rebecca Cullen
Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing.
