A.F. Chimes is a solo artist whose forte is their fantastic acoustic guitar arrangements. The local musician released a new single titled “Death is Near”, out today October 20th, 2023. The song is a sort of dirge about the author’s failing mental health, “Sometimes I forget how to breathe, it’s not plug your nose and clenching your teeth it’s remembering that everything is okay”. The lyrics sort of depressively mingle on the topic of death, love, and apathy. “When you die, you find out the meaning of life… But who cares? You won’t.”

I find that this song carries a really well formed, and jazz-like structure which fills in and matches the emotions of the lyrics. The death that the lyrics seem to be craving is a respite from the difficulties of life rather than an end to it. The lyrics also call for us all to love each other, or for us to give love freely, they give a philosophical outlook which makes love the meaning of life, and death just a journey.

Structurally and aesthetically, the song moves through a few different feels but stays firmly based in modern acoustic songwriting. Sounding between Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, Alex G, but also Daniel Johnston, Chimes’ voice is sort of a mockingjay call matched with jokingly reverent lyrics which paint an abstract vision where the listener is left to decide whether or not the song has any meaning. The lyrics paint this sort of metaphysical eeriness, which paired with the jangly and very bright guitar licks give me the idea that Chimes’ doesn’t want to lead us anywhere specific, but instead just try to paint a larger picture of this strange ethereal place they exist in.

The setting of the painting feels like it is set in an upside-down place version of Connecticut, but one where some segment of old Appalachia found some grounding south of the Berkshires. AF Chimes plays music meant for sitting on porches, and perhaps ones in dank and foggy rhododendron and Oak forests.