Light and Shade’s “Trilogies” is a three part journey of emotional depth
In an age when singles tend to be one-off experiences, there is something refreshingly deliberate about Light and Shade’s recent release “Trilogies,” the revealing third track off their new record “This is Water.” In keeping with its name, “Trilogies” is built around three separate but overlapping movements, each section speaking its own emotional language while also working into the next with an elegance and gracefulness that is remarkable. The opening passage is filled with muted textures, economical instrumentation, and a melody that unfolds deliberately, gently drawing the listener into an airspace of contemplative calm.
The second act of “Trilogies” begins to gain momentum with a rhythmic pulse and layered harmonies, drawing the listener in. They don’t so much abandon the song’s emotional core as they expand upon it. They bring in new melodic colors and a forward tempo that’s both uplifting and restless. It’s the musical equivalent of stepping outside into the world after being alone for a very long time. Echoes of the first two parts return like old memories, except now seen through new lenses. The energy is looser, the arrangement richer, as if the track has itself picked up a little bit of wisdom along the way. The point at which everything comes together is not a settling so much as a reminder that what we’re hearing is not even the half of it, that there’s more beyond what can be achieved.
With the “Trilogies,” Light and Shade demonstrate that they’re constructing arching, multi-faceted experiences. This demands audiences pay some attention and to perhaps groove to it. As an entry in “This is Water,” it serves as a conceptual linchpin to a pole to which the album’s deeper themes wrap silently around. In a single song, Light and Shade go a masterclass in how to write in song form, how to convey emotion, and how to tell a story musically. “Trilogies” is a three-act play that takes place in your ears and doesn’t leave you, not long after the last note has ended.
