47. A meditation on simple beauty
Have you had a fateful encounter with this song, too?
suggested reading method
To best savour this artwork, please take a moment to eliminate distractions. Consider minimizing all other windows on your computer; putting other devices (phone, tv etc) aside; taking a deep breath, to the full extent of your lung capacity; and focusing solely on the “artwork” section.
Once you’ve processed that to your satisfaction, the rest of the post is optional reading, provided only to share my own impressions and reasons for choosing this piece.
artwork
“Mariella” by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, from their 2022 EP Texas Moon.
interpretation
This was one of the first Khruangbin tracks I heard and remains one of my favourites, due to the softly bittersweet chord transitions and enduring feeling of calm. No matter how many times I’ve listened (including on repeat while writing this), the melody hasn’t lost its lustre. Nor has the central idea of wanting to stay with a loved one forever.
I don’t always read YouTube comments (am I dating myself with this meme reference?) – but when I do, I like to read positive ones where people recount the ways they’re changed by a work of art. One commenter named their newborn after this song, and wrote how they can’t wait to show the song to their daughter in a few years.
A few months after finding this on YouTube, last July, my boyfriend invited me to Khruangbin’s concert in Vancouver. I don’t recall they played “Mariella,” probably because Leon Bridges wasn’t there to sing, but I was struck by this three-piece’s virtuosity on the guitar, drum and bass. Across a solid hour of music, not one note or beat was out of place. I was impressed by the immense skill required to make a pared-down setup so engaging.
My latest encounter with “Mariella” was at the wedding I attended this past weekend. At a secluded lodge off the main road to Yosemite National Park, the sun was low in the clear blue sky. We were seated on a hill overlooking the altar, awaiting the groom and bride. Then, as they walked down the aisle, what else came on the speakers but this song. As we learned of this couple’s love story, through vows that made me tear up even though I just met them, “Mariella” was the perfect accompaniment. I thought: surely now, this newlywed couple – and all the attendees at the wedding – will experience this song as even more special than before.
“Mariella” makes me think much of the joy in simplicity comes from purity: a feeling boiled down to the essence, making even more apparent the transcendental beauty within.
context
“Khruangbin?” you might be thinking. “Why pick such an unpronounceable name?” This Houston band chose the Thai word for “flying engine” (or “airplane”) as a nod to their mix of global influences. With Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald "DJ" Johnson Jr. on drums, they have been active since 2010, and released 5 EPs and 4 studio albums.
Leon Bridges (1989 - present) is a soul singer and songwriter born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. Since working as a dishwasher while participating in open-mics in 2015, he’s risen to prominence at a breakneck speed. Aside from recording three albums and several singles and EPs on his own, he collaborated with Khruangbin for the Texas Sun and Texas Moon EPs released in 2020 and 2022.
Do you have a notable memory with “Mariella” or another favourite song that never gets old? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
