Portland-based multi-instrumentalist, Alex Schiff (also known as Blue Canopy), takes a dreamy, surf pop approach in his latest single “Bright Spot. Amidst the bright arpeggiated plucking of the guitar are vocals that contrast soft, breathy dynamics with heavy lyricism.
“Tell me that I’m always on your mind / I get the feeling I’ve been left behind” Schiff sings in the opening verse. There’s an admission of insecurity here that stokes a desire for validation, probably from a significant other. As he turns the corner into the chorus, he gives a reminder, “I warned you / There’s something not right”. While it is unclear what the exact situation is or how long it has been going on, the lyrics have a sense of unease and vulnerability.
“’Bright Spot’ was written during a rough patch in my relationship with my long-term partner” Schiff says, “We were fighting a lot regarding rehoming our family dog, and I just wanted everything to be OK between us. This song sorts through my feelings throughout that time, hoping for a resolution.”
As a sort of diary-entry approach to songwriting, “Bright Spot” works well in the sense that there are conflicting feelings and story threads scattered throughout even if the writing itself is neatly packaged in lines and stanzas. The closing lyrics say it all, “You might not be wrong / You might not be right / This time…”. If nothing else, it’s clear that something needs to change within the situation, but blame seems to take precedence. Time will tell whether Schiff, himself, can be the change he wants to see in the relationship.
“Bright Spot” is available now on major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music and can be found on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify and YouTube.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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