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One of the unique things about Laura Sumner’s single “Tides” is how a first-time encounter can feel like meeting a familiar longtime friend. Southern born but now residing in the New York area, Sumner’s artistic roots run back into the halcyon days of the 1970s and the prime years of musicians and songwriters such as Neil Young, Carly Simon, and even Neil Diamond. She is able, however, to transmute those influences into her own idiosyncratic voice, thanks in no small part to her talents with language as well. “Tides” has the completeness of song, but poetry as well.
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You can hear that in the absolute control and neatness of how she pays off the chorus. There isn’t a misplaced syllable, and she extends the lines to the right length. Finding precise metaphors for human behavior (in this case, falling out of love) and the natural world will always play well with listeners and the understated grace Sumner achieves with this song is thoroughly satisfying. She coaxes each line out, as well, with careful consideration for the effects she wants to have on listeners. It comes across as an artist attentive to every detail of the performance and this builds trust with the listener.
The musical backing is especially fine. She is careful, obviously, to never push too hard on the song – it is essentially a gentle meditation on a transformative personal moment. Many listeners will gravitate towards the song’s nuanced drumming; the timekeeping gives “Tides” a light near-shuffle that accelerates the audience towards the song’s end at the right pace. There’s never any sense of the song being rushed or glossed over. The canny instincts of a veteran songwriter are present in this track, but its musical acumen is off the charts, as well.
She’s released a promotional clip for the song that will further reinforce its value for listeners. It’s a lyric video, but Sumner has put a great deal of thought into her presentation and its inventive use will please many. There’s a loose narrative of sorts threaded through the video and the silent acting is superb; filming it in black and white, as well, emphasizes the song’s emotional foundation. It is stylishly filmed, produced and edited by John Schaub and Kevin Rennie.
She’s worked with a cadre of outstanding collaborators to make this happen. Her EP Red Clay Blue Sky, released a few days ago, has the fine Grammy-winning producer Marc Swersky at the helm and Seth Von Paulus handling the mix. This sort of first-class treatment is another sure indicator that Sumner is a talent to be reckoned with and that the stars are aligning for her thanks to her gifts, rather than a look, or some gimmick. She has all the makings of an artist who will be in this for the long haul rather than creating a brief buzz before slinking back into obscurity. “Tides” is the sort of stuff that posterity favors and there’s more of it awaiting listeners on her aforementioned EP.
Jennifer Munoz
