Late Night Insomniac Music Series: Cider Sky

I have this terrible habit of saying I’m going to go to bed after I listen to one last “Goodnight” tune and then not actually going to sleep until 2 hours and 40 plus songs later. It’s a problem that, when I’m at home, usually ends up in my parents nagging me about falling asleep on the couch with the lights on. However, this habit has also helped me create some really relaxing impromptu “playlists” over the years, most of which I don’t actually think to save for future listening. So, with the creation of this music blog, I think I’ll begin actually keeping track of all those cool late night tracks I listen to and walk through what goes through my head as I stare at the ceiling till 4 in the morning for no reason other than wanting to listen to ONE more song before bed.

So, tonight’s main selection for my late night bout of insomnia is a duo by the name of Cider Sky. They are a particular favorite of mine for nights like this when I just don’t want to slip into a deep sleep yet. For the most part, any song by them will do just fine, but my personal favorite for late night contemplation has got to be “We Are In Love.” Specifically, I remember laying back on my couch at 3 in the morning with the lights turned off and my eyes lazily focused on the light fixtures above me as I listened to the whispered quality of Cider Sky’s vocals. Now, I had just had my wisdom teeth removed so the crazy amounts of painkillers and lingering anesthetics might have added to my serenity. Even still, I couldn’t have dreamt up a moment more perfectly still and I kept hitting repeat on my computer because it just fit the night so beautifully. To this day, I still get the same warm feeling when I hear that song and any Cider Sky song.

“We Are In Love” is a wonderfully adorable track that could have a place in any indie romance film (They have been featured on one of the Twilight movie soundtracks, but I’m going to stop myself there before I get into an annoyed rant about Twilight, this is not the place for that). Singers Simon Wilcox and Shridhar Solanki sing together from beginning to end on this track and the consistent harmony just feels so innocent, so honest, and so pure. To add to that innocence, the lyrics don’t waste time trying to create this unnecessarily complex and convoluted metaphor about some earth shattering romance. The chorus, for instance, is composed of direct and simple sentences. It’s a simple declaration of love from these two – to the audience and to each other. It’s not just the lyrics and their harmonic delivery though; all the tones in this song are so light and so nuanced which just complements the lyrics and harmonies, rooting that innocent feeling of first love deep into the listener. The soft pulsing beat in the background that is vaguely reminiscent of a heartbeat, the soft and muted guitar riffs, the ever so subtle reverb –  it all meshes together and creates this feeling of wide eyed wonderment that is so characteristically romantic. The real genius about this song to me though is how the song kind of rises and falls sonically. The verses and bridge are calm, focusing primarily on the soft vocals. Then, the instrumentation picks up in the chorus, the opening 3 lines builds a crescendo into the chorus’s definitive end chant of “We are in love” which is accompanied by a cohesive mixture of sounds. It’s almost as if you are experiencing the highs and lows of actually being in love as you listen to the song progress.

Romantic songs like this are always good background for night time musings about my life, I’ve found. So, I recommend Cider Sky for anyone looking to get to a peaceful and uninterrupted place in their head, because all of their songs have that kind of atmospheric and pure feeling to them. Relax, ease your mind and hold off on that ride to dreamland with me for just one more song.

LISTEN: “We Are In Love” by Cider Sky

Pair with: Hot chocolate and introspective thoughts about the beauty of the universe