An Emotionally Bound Single from Marc Clough
A single release from Marc Clough comes through with a heavy-handed emotional backbone because he's coming from a place of truth, part of him that needed to get something off his chest, and the story told is one that feels relatable to a lot of us.
"You Won't Feel A Thing" is beautifully constructed and sits firmly under a sort of folk-pop umbrella, with a cinematic undertone and again, this beautiful emotional push that really comes through in the performances as well as the lyrics.
One of the things that really grabbed me about this track is the lyrics themselves, simply because they can be so detailed at times. He's really coming from a personal perspective, and with the lyrically descriptive content, it helps you paint a picture as the song unfolds.
To me, it's a song about loss. There's love there, but there's also loss. I could feel elements of heartbreak coming through, and a lot of this is just how I interpreted the song.
Others may listen to it and take it in a little differently than I do. For me, I related to it in a certain manner. The sentiment was loud and clear for me.
This is the beauty of songs like this. Each listener can take it a little differently. You used to be single like this one, and you related to your own life. It can cause memories of your own to pop into your head at random.
The song has crisp acoustic guitars and vocals that have heart behind them. There's a lot about the performance vocally that makes the song feel incredibly authentic.
The arrangement is something that was paid attention to as well. The way the song builds up is incredible. As the song plays through, it sort of gets bigger, and you hear other elements that bring even more of a cinematic feel and aesthetic to the table.
The chorus definitely sticks in your head. When you're done listening to the song, you're kind of humming that over and over, and sometimes, the only way to satiate that is to go and listen to it again.
This was a very well-woven single that had a lot of bravery to it. I think it's brave to be able to write a song with this level of vulnerability. Again, it's very connective. For me, I connected right away, and the deeper into the song I got, the more I was swallowed up by everything.
The instrumentation is lush and beautiful, incorporating certain kinds of strings that feel like cellos along with the acoustic guitars.
By the second verse, the vocals are all harmonized with two parts, adding a bit more depth and texture to the song itself.
It's a song that's very easy to get engulfed by and eventually, washed away with.
Now, if you're not really familiar with the work of Marc Clough as a songwriter in general, then this is an amazing track to introduce yourself to, simply because it displays some of the staples that you can find in a lot of his music.
There's always a place of truth and personal experience in his songs.
"Merry-go-round", a single released in 2023, also displays a lot of this but also branches off in a bit of a different direction musically.
Meanwhile, songs like "The Girl That Doesn't Exist" have this pop overcoat to it, more of an upswing vibe, and are influenced by a more classic approach in terms of pop music in general.
He's got a lot of different styles in how he puts himself out there, and you can hear a slew of influences when you listen to a lot of his songs.
As far as I can tell, "You Won't Feel A Thing" is his eighth song released at least on Spotify.
His first being in 2021. I do suggest listening to all of these because not only are they all a little different, and showcase some of the other sides to his personality and songwriting, but it is quite fun listening to his evolution as a songwriter throughout the last few years.
Again, you can always hear that pop undertone coming through, whether it's on the upfront or more in the background, it's there.
So, listen to this single first, and work your way back through his catalog because it's well worth your time.
Also, doing this with headphones on is absolutely the best way to go, especially with songs like "You Won't Feel A Thing", because this way you can soak in all of the layers and textures along with that emotional backbone really well.
This is a song that sort of swims around in the air that surrounds you, letting you get attached to the sentiment and the story.
So, dive in and I'm sure you'll hear exactly what I'm talking about.
