The new single by Ezra Vancil titled Island is a much softer, more atmospheric addition to his catalogue. The song, being the second track off his two-album compilation Morning and Midnight, leaves the straightforward confession and tapers into the more hazardous and highly philosophical. The lyrics wander in memory that can only be grasped, love spotted in the back view mirror, and the weird sensation that we are always a step behind our lives. It has a kind of melancholy, a sweet melancholy–the melancholy of loss and beauty being one.
The song is inspired by a visit to the beach that Ezra went on with his family when funds were tight, but they still managed to save to be able to spend at least one night by the ocean. Island is a perfect expression of such a tender moment. It is so cool, warm and romantic, the breath of escape.
The reason why the song is so intimate is partly because it was made so simply. The song is simple and personal, recorded in a silent cabin in East Texas with no special equipment and the natural feel of the surrounding of the recording. The daughter of Ezra, Cozi, provides the song with a gentle supporting vocals, which makes the song even more personal. The guitar lines of Ty Richards are surfy and shine on the mix, and the rhythm is kept constant and unobtrusive by Chris Brush and Jon Estes.
In the end, Island is a story of having to rebuild your life once it went wrong. It was written by Ezra several years after he reconnected with his wife, and such relief and gratitude are embedded in every note. Having crashing-wave imagery, heard harmonies that are hummed, and sounds of the celestial guitar, Island quietly welcomes the listener to a point where the healing has finally started.
