ATTACK THE SOUND – SYMPHONY (LIVE FROM UNCOMMON GROUND)

Attack the Sound’s “Symphony (Live from Uncommon Ground)” is all about the conflict between what you thought your life would be and what it actually is. It’s a song built on self doubt, on disappointment and on the sheer weariness of just trying to keep going. It’s a very real expression of that struggle and it doesn’t lose the sense of hope. The core of the song is “This ain’t my symphony’ which is such a perfect encapsulation of the feeling of being in a situation that is utterly alien to the future you had in mind. Rather than being a song of defeat it’s a song which allows for a different start.

Soulful lead vocals immediately establish an intimate atmosphere in which the emotional content of the lyrics can really be felt. The guitar, keys, rhythm and the layers of harmony form the bed of the song, the live arrangement having a natural ebb and flow. It was recorded at Uncommon Ground in Chicago and the very nature of the recording (the musicians all in the same room) gives it that sense of being close and personal rather than something that’s been over produced. It’s a very natural sounding arrangement which serves the song perfectly.

As the performance progresses the personal confession becomes a shared one. The voices and harmonies around the lead vocal really do give it a communal feel, the sense that you’re not going to have to go through that disappointment and that uncertainty all by yourself. It adds a whole extra dimension to the song in that respect, moves it from being just the individual’s experience into a shared one. The soulfulness of the performance and the fact that it’s such a cross genre piece works perfectly with the intimacy of the recording without in any way detracting from the message.

“Symphony (Live from Uncommon Ground)” is all about the balance between accepting that you’re disappointed and not giving in to that disappointment. It doesn’t offer hope as a simple solution. The very first step in changing the course of your life is to accept where you are. The final line is a very positive one in that respect: the song you imagined may not have happened, but there is still a chance to go on and write a new song. Sometimes the very act of realising that the song you’re in is not your song is precisely where a new song can begin.

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