Chords of Truth

Following numerous collaborations which included collaborative forays into house, trance, hip-hop and even dubstep, Chords of Truth (real name Jason Garriotte) has released the single ‘Dreams’ which utilises the modern technologies and stylistic aspects used in the aforementioned genres to create an emphatic, dramatic folktronica record.

Chords of Truth has a very a familiar playing style in folk. He chomps chords out with his tacking, pronounced guitar strumming applying body and dynamism to music that can so often have very few layers to it. Subsequently these notes not only lay down the tone of the single but also the plucky rhythm that drives it adventurously forward.

What’s a ‘Dream’ without the drifting, discarnate presence of unearthly-sounding choral backing vocals and atmospheric keys infusing an airy ambience to proceedings? The theme is as clear as the title; the result is a theatrical soundscape that sounds midway between a Gordon Lightfoot song and Enya’s new age stuff.

Chords of Truth has strong, grounded vocals like Lightfoot. Or maybe even imagine Leonard Cohen delivering a transcendental sermon of enigmatic thoughts and feelings and you would get some kind of illustration of what Chords of Truth is doing on ‘Dreams’. His haunting harmonies give the content a meditative carapace but his expressive, barrelling range means that things never become stodgy.

‘Dreams’ is a thought-provoking and entrancing song that has a lot of re-listen value. Its content is subject to personal interpretation but, musically, it’s amiable and well-structured in its approach.