From the simple, direct opening line: “Found a photo of us from back in the day,” ‘Youth Not Wasted’ by Great Lake Swimmers is immediately nostalgic; it is reminiscence and memory in musical form. The combination of wistful melody, dreamy harmonies, and a found-footage style video reinforces the song’s smart, narrative observations: “So many books on the shelf left unread.” The message is positive and hopeful, as the narrator’s remembered, long-ago youth was not wasted in a play on the famous Oscar Wilde quote, “Youth is wasted on the young.” Beautifully crafted and arranged, there’s a gorgeous warmth in the song’s gentle instrumentation, which is lush and layered. These tones capture perfectly the way we look back as time passes.
Founder member, Tony Dekker, says: “It suggests that every part of the adventure of youth does in fact matter, and constructs our identities in the present day. It considers the ‘caught light’ of an old photograph, books left unread, and the points to which life’s energy ultimately pushes us. There is an element of taking stock and reflection on life lived to its fullest. It might also be a subtle homage to the early work of John Martyn, a key influence on the album, and particularly on this song.”
The single is from Great Lake Swimmers’ ninth studio album. “Caught Light”, due out on 10th October, was tracked in just three days – a remarkable feat from the Toronto-based indie folk band. Dekker says that through the process, he felt: “…a newly found zeal for not being precious and being more direct.” Dekker also explains the album’s title and themes: “Where I grew up in a rural part of Niagara Region, on a farm, in the back 40, there was a very small airstrip with a skydiving club. As kids, we’d see these guys jumping out of planes, five or six at a time. Once, one of them landed in the fields around our house. That was such a powerful image to me as a kid: What happens when you don’t land where you intended, when life blows you off course? The phrase ‘caught light’ refers to an unexpected situation where you don’t have as much as you thought you wanted or needed. Early on in the album process, it became apparent that would be the title track.”
Sweetly melodic music accompanying tender words of reflection – this is americana songwriting at its finest.
