While Loyle Carner may not have a huge following in the U.S. he’s firmly on the rise in the U.K. Through his lyrical cadence / tone as well as his back-tracking choices (influences from A Tribe Called Quest & De La Soul), Carner conveys emotion in way that’s both heartbreaking and deeply transparent. The first song I heard from Carner last year, “Loose Ends”, came along with a chilling hook by Jorja Smith. It’s one of the many examples of storytelling throughout the album, where in this track, Carner reminisces about his childhood and how different it could have been with the support that he has now in his life.
But it’s the title track on his latest album, “Not Waving, but Drowning” that really stood out to me. It is an excerpt of a recitation by Stevie Smith about her poem “Not Waving but Drowning”.
I read about a man getting drowned once
His friends thought he was waving to them from the sea But really, he was drowning And then I thought that, in a way, it is true of life too
That a lot of people pretend, out of bravery really
That they are very jolly and ordinary sort of chaps But really they do not feel at home at all in the world Or able to make friends easily
So then they joke a lot and laugh
And people think they're quite alright and jolly nice too But sometimes that brave pretense breaks down And then, like the poor man in this poem, they are lost
Not waving, but drowning
I remember speaking with a good friend of mine last year about what it means to be a friend. We both realized that at this stage in our lives, it’s hard to be a good friend to anyone when we can barely be good friends to ourselves. It's even harder admitting that. Balancing our personal development and growth while being able to support and commend the progress of those closest to us is an intricate challenge I think many of us are still struggling to solve.
Until we find that perfect balance, it’s important to keep nurturing those friendships to the best of our ability; even if checking in is the most you can do at the moment. Cherish those closest to you and remember that we are all struggling to navigate the difficulties that life can put in our path.
Carner’s theme of reflection and appreciation is constant throughout the album and all of his discography. His ability to engage listeners in personal reflection based on his full display of personal experiences is a powerful talent that few lyricists of his age posses. At times he has been referred to as the sentimental face of the Grime music scene. Be sure to check out his latest album mentioned above, as well as his debut album, “Yesterday’s Gone” (2017), which garnered him a Mercury Prize nomination. And if streaming doesn't give you the full vibe, click below to see his live COLORS Studio performance.
