Today’s Song of the Day is “Hemlock” by Roman Reese.
This one is definitely from the nostalgic realm; Roman is an old friend of mine from college. I remember signing up for “Ranger Week”at Tennessee Tech University to make some friends and enjoy what seemed to be a week of camping and such—wasn’t that. Roman showed up with a guitar if I remember correctly, adding to the confusion regarding my situation.
Regardless, it was a fun week, and though I eventually left Tech for WKU, we stayed in touch for a while. Both of us went on to serve in the Army and he continued to play that guitar, eventually releasing music that me and my friends back home grew to love very quickly.
“Hemlock” was a favorite of mine. I love the lyrics, and they certainly speak to the crushing anxieties of being drawn to someone and not knowing how to handle it. For me, it reminds me of the greater lies of liquid courage—so glad I wised up to that eventually. I love the line: “it’s the rounds in my revolver as I walk over to her.” I see it differently now, but I remember how it used to be.
Production-wise, the background vocals are amazing, and I’m surprised at how present they are, yet they don’t seem to take anything away from the lead vocal. The mandolin is a nice touch as well; there is just enough contrast between the thumping of the acoustic and the jangly-ness of that mandolin.
I’ve only seen Roman a few times since those days; hopefully he’ll put out some new music. He’s a great writer, a great performer, and a pretty cool guy!
Check it out if you haven’t heard it!
