Recent single, ‘Cave’, from Rachael Sage is a deeply personal exploration of valuing yourself within a relationship. It was actually written when she was a teenager. However, Sage re-discovered it in a box of old lyrics more recently while she was recovering from cancer. She explains: “I wrote this song while I was in college, where I fell hard for someone who was definitely not ultimately ‘healthy’ for me. It was a very formative experience and left me with a lingering fear of being manipulated or rejected for who I actually was. When I sing it now, the song reminds me to revere authenticity and honesty in all my relationships – and to fully embrace unconditional love.”
All these years later, Sage found that the lyrics resonated with her much more than they ever had. Indeed, the song is lyrically beautiful: “I am sitting here in silence // Like a stone inside a pool of // Running water falling // Down a twisting, aching, straining stream // Inside a cave inside a mountain // Inside me inside of you.” Like the words, the music flows gently in sonic streams, enhanced by the addition of the accordion undercurrent. The result is delicate and engaging.
‘Cave’ is taken from the new album, ‘Character’, which was intended to be a collection focused on gratitude following her ill-health. However, the events of 2020 have lent even greater poignance to the themes of optimism and defiance that characterise the record. Quality music. Enjoy.
