Emily Barker’s brand new album, ‘A Dark Murmuration of Words’, is released today 4th September on Thirty Tigers. It’s the highly anticipated follow-up to the successful ‘Sweet Kind of Blue’, which helped her to land the UK Artist of the Year at the 2018 UK Americana Awards. To coincide with the record’s release, here is her recent single, ‘Where Have the Sparrows Gone?’, which is accompanied by an excellent, thought-provoking video. The song, a powerful piece of song-writing, places us in a post-apocalyptic, birdless version of London.
Barker reflects on her inspiration: “Over the last few decades the Sparrow has gone from being one of the world’s most common and widespread birds to being Red Listed as a species of high conservation concern. When writing the song, my thoughts returned to the sparrows outside my window – how sad it would be to look out and not see and hear their vibrant movement and chatter. I hope that day never comes.”
The Tom Jacob-directed video presents a family’s narrative as they seek closure; their story symbolises the loss of species, habitats and natural environments. It’s a powerful yet sensitive piece of work. Enjoy the video, then check out the new album.
