Artist Louise Burke’s first single “Artist’s Rut” thus is a narrrative ode of the torment of artistic passion and the realities of life. After a chance meeting with Pulp’s Antony Genn, Burke takes her pain from the encounter and funnels it into this track, giving people a raw look into the life of many artists.
“Artist’s Rut” belongs to the pleasant alt-folk genre with a dash of country flavor, so expect more wordplay and deep narratives. There is play between dream and longing, and between the darkness and the light; the overall abstraction of the song is also significant. In this cut, more so than in her previous work, Burke’s rewarding vocal timbre and her stylistically subdued technique come to the foreground.
The song starts with sparkling and bright music notes, which gives quite a happy but at the same time thoughtful mood. The tune is upbeat and catchy and fans have been able to sing along very comfortably as well as dance as they are taken through the more thought provoking lyrics. What is particularly stimulating in this piece is that Burke’s lyrics express the struggle of following one’s dreams and managing responsibilities, and the welcoming of this ordeal.
‘Artist’s Rut’ is not just a narrative but a song that can be understood by anyone out there especially artists who are barred by responsibilities to achieve their dreams. To back up a little, here, it is interesting that Burke, who was once an international translator, has turned into a television personality and is now a musician.
The recording of the single is driven by Burke’s powerful and passionate voice while the delicate backing music that accompanies the voice puts emphasis on the song’s lyrical content without extrapolating it. The music of the track can be described as country-pop, and the song’s tempo is rather cheerful and hopeful encouraging the audience to enjoy life. Given the meaningful and touching nature of lyrics, when added to the spinning engulfing sound it produces a rather interesting listening.
