“Can’t Do Much” was the refrain of the last Chain Gang piece, and indeed there are times when the odds are overwhelming, and you will not overcome. What music can express this and provide the soundtrack to a calm acceptance of fate? Here is the answer. `Hope of a Lifetime’ is from The Milk Carton Kids’ second album “The Ash and Clay” and never has the extinguishing of dreams sounded so gorgeous. The album itself has an honest focus on passing moments and loss, and it’s exemplified in this song. The voices meld together in quiet resignation with a backing of intricate guitar work, and provide us with these lyrics; “In the newfound reverie / Of quiet peace I found / Freedom comes from being unafraid / Of the heartache that can plague a man”. This a duo that use words with a thought, and in this song they express a dry-eyed stoic acceptance that also provides solace.
AUK’s Chain Gang: The Milk Carton Kids “Hope of a Lifetime”
