“Freak folk” is a genre the Tonemamas have recently stumbled upon, and it’s a terrific stumble indeed. Whether it’s folk for freaks, folk by freaks or a combination, our inner freaks are bopping along to the eccentricity, creativity and originality that exists within this genre. Today’s freak Doo Crowder is trying to loosen the claw of depression through his latest single “waitin on a rebirth”.
With a lullaby-like melody that could easily be sung around a campfire under a dazzling star-spotted sky in the middle of nowhere, the song feels instantly familiar. Doo Crowder’s voice is sheepish and shy which makes it all the more intriguing. The acoustic arrangement is steady while stirring in unexpected musical elements here and there.The originality that is so endearing to this genre comes in the mixing up of pronunciation on all the ‘-ion’ words (e.g. realization is sung like “real-zay-shee-un”.
The circular, loop-like feeling of the song seems to be a musical expression of the depression he is singing about – depression is a room without escape doors. One can pace up and down, up and down, and it is this sensation that is so exquisitely captured in the song. We all get trapped in that door-less room from time to time, but there is nothing more comforting than a song in solidarity to carry you though.
Best listened to while: after a bad day of doing nothing but feeling like everything somehow went wrong…come and sing incorrectly pronounced words with Doo Crowder, it’s more liberating than you’d think!
Listen for this moment: 00:49 when the track slowly starts growing in textures and depth