Indie singer Noah in the Open is anything but ordinary. The talented young artist tends to experiment in new styles with every release. This week’s single is perhaps his simplest, yet most vulnerable release to date.

The song details the end of a long relationship. Noah’s emotional telling shows that this ending was a slow burn of lost feelings and misaligned expectations, as he sings: “Am I over my head, for having plans for the years ahead? You’ve already checked out as my best friend. My heads full of doubt. And it’s fading, the confidence I had.”  As Noah can tell that the end is in sight for him and his love, he feels himself trying to be someone he is not in order to try to preserve the relationship he can already feel is fleeting.

The sensations of loss, vulnerability, and desperation are felt vibrantly through his musical performance. The whole song features his voice with relatively dry editing, and an eloquently written piano line. Filled with complex music theory, impressive vocal and dynamic range, and a lead melody that is reminiscent of songwriting legend Elliot Smith, the choices he makes in his delivery of his story matches the painful details of his lyrics to create a naturally empathetic song.

Noah’s latest single is unlike anything else he has released. Although this song is simple in that it only consists of two tracks, its complexity in music theory, melody composition, and lyrical makeup showcases the sheer difficulty of creating a song that can do so much with so little. Noah’s latest work as his most compelling song yet. I wish him the best in his recovery from this relationship, but I thank him in advance for providing me with this song for when I get my heart broken in the future.

‍