Dealing with conflict within a relationship is difficult, and it seems to be something the Canadian musical duo KasēoGems understand rather well.
On the single “Don’t Go,” the band’s respective members — singer-songwriters Geoff Gibbons and Vicky Sjohall — open with deeply evocative vocals: “Take a deep breath, Keep a cool head, Take a long look, At all the words we’ve said, It’s been a long hours, And a longer day, You saying you might walk away, It’s dangerous zone, When we feel so alone, Baby all I want to say is, Don’t Go.” That definitely hits on a few emotional chords, and I haven’t even gotten to the music.
Speaking of which, the accompanying melody is melancholy and beautiful, and features piano, guitar, and a string instrument that I believe is a violin. The song also has unmistakable influences of Americana, Folk, and Country music, particularly on the chorus. All in all, it’s a very pleasant track, though the subject matter is a bit somber. Don’t worry though, it seems that by the end of the single, the couple decides to keep working on their relationship: “When love is right here in our hands.”
“Don’t Go” comes with a music video. In some, its general feel may inspire a mental montage of assorted movie endings that feature a lady by the ocean waiting for something: a person, a moment, a goodbye, a revelation, and so on. As can be expected, there’s a bit of wind that allows her shawl to gently bob in the wind. I suppose for a track of this nature it works, but for some reason, before watching the video, I was envisioning a more contemporary setting more inline with the film Marriage Story (2019).
According to the press release, the duo used the lockdown during the pandemic to collaborate remotely and create music: “In a time where we are grieving the loss of normalcy, the music of KasēoGems is a nostalgic blanket.” Perhaps. But, to me, “Don’t Go” is a lovely song created by two clearly skilled musicians that I think most audiences can appreciate on a number of levels.
Note* Album provided for objective review by our partners.