“Away” by Historian is the musical version of the word “away”, but in a palpably off-beat, darker context. It’s the musical form of freedom, of letting go and going away, of leaving everything behind, of being in inner peace, but with one keynote – all those ideas feel as if they stream from the human side of a monster’s consciousness.
Being a classic Historian creation, “Away” isn’t exactly the typical liberating song you’d put on in the morning to get in an upbeat mode. Rather, it features the signature for the band equivocal blend of major and minor chords that evokes very mixed feelings and creates a very haunting vibe that pervades the entire song. In fact, while “Away” still has this distinctive cosmic quality to it that makes Historian stand out, here it carries into a borderline sinister atmosphere that is unusual even for their standards. This eeriness is heightened by the string melancholy that wafts from somewhere in the back and for some reason conjures up Dracula or some old-school fictional creatures of the night.
I think the song is perfect for a vampire movie soundtrack or something along those lines.
Overall, “Away” is definitely another unusual and ambitious piece by Historian, the kind that you wouldn’t come by very often. It’s certainly not for every taste or mood, and perhaps a little more pulse wouldn’t have hurt it, but nevertheless, it’s a worthy attempt at something different and musically challenging.
What’d you think about the song?
