Gorgeously arranged and full of fluidity and gentle movement, MF Tomlinson’s latest single is a compelling listen. ‘I’m on the Border’ was inspired by Tomlinson’s personal experiences when facing possible deportation from the UK. That specific struggle is used as a symbol to represent death in this thoughtful, sensitive song. With flowing currents of strings and synths, ‘I’m on the Border’ creates the sense of something bigger, an epic composition on a grander scale that transcends Tomlinson’s personal reflections. Low and sonorous, Tomlinson’s voice also has a timeless quality. Simply, I’m on the Border’ is a beautiful song that moves the listener, shifting our perceptions and feelings.
The song’s lyrics are like poetry, as beautiful and meaningful as the music: “One day like today I’ll have to go away // Know that when I go a part of me remains // Deep in the night I’ll be awake // See me through the dark and the roaring waves // See me in the light and I’m sunshine bathed // How could they tear us apart? // The answer is they can’t.” In those final two lines, the theme is perfectly captured in language that is both direct and sincere.
This is the latest single from the forthcoming album “Die To Wake Up From A Dream”, due on 11th July. The follow-up to 2023’s acclaimed “We Are Still Wild Horses” promises to be even more ambitious, a collection of adventurous soundscapes and meditations on the human condition and the world as it is today. Tomlinson shares: “There was something defiant about the creation of this album in a time when it is so difficult to create work like this. Even when players were so exhausted they had to sleep on the studio floor, they were determined to push through – to express something beautiful that was unique to themselves. It seemed to me to be like what Leonard Cohen said: ‘Art does not come from suffering, but in spite of it – as a victory over suffering’ This feels like a victory to me.” This is absorbing stuff – immerse yourself in it.
