"Unkind" by Noah Seleno

Things are evolving a little in my reviews of Noah Seleno singles. For starters my anguish that she doesn't release sufficiently often to meet the needs of her audience is being addressed: this morning's new single "Unkind" comes out only three months after its predecessor  "Regret/Forget". She's on a roll.

The second development is that her song is in many ways wholly consistent with past releases yet has moved closer to the material in subject & tone.

The ethereal nature of Noah's talents which I'm sure every reviewer defaults to at some point is tempered this time out by a descent (in theme) to nearer earth.

The poetic approach is still there of course, but the narrative is much more direct & unambiguous. Actual experiences are detailed in specific wording and we get the impression of unfiltered autobiography. That impression of profound personal truth in her songs has always been a defining attribute, but here we get to peer into aspects of concrete events rather than trying to discern them via a metaphysical filter.

The performance shifts in response: while still admirably simple & direct in arrangement & delivery, that sense of floating high in the ether one normally gets from Noah Seleno songs is replaced by an intimacy of ground level character totally appropriate to the song in question.

To me this demonstration of breadth of approach while still coupled to her highly individual style is all to the good: it means her other singles retain their qualities undiluted by any sense of revisiting old ground.

The exquisite emotional intensity is also still much in evidence: do you really need me to walk you through the lyrics of "Unkind"? Like the recent "If They Knew What You Did" by Izzie Derry, one can applaud the artistic inspiration but abhor the actual experiences the writer was put through by someone's actions in order to generate it.

Noah is a unique writer and performer who should be much more widely known: it's all very well considering her some sort of "hidden gem" to be enjoyed by the cognoscenti but really she deserves better and so does music like this: "Unkind", like her other work is flawless & utterly truthful. I defy anyone not to identify with it & to love it.