Christopher Griffiths – “Take On You”
Christopher Griffiths – “Take On You” – Single Review
Awwwwwww! Grab those fur-babies of yours, cuddle up and listen close will ya?
Far be it from me to harp on a point relentlessly (over & over) – but Christopher Griffiths is proving what the impact of exploring the fringe of a genre can lead to. As I must’ve said (at least a few times I’m sure) somewhere on these pages of ours – finding those unique ways to appeal to listeners outside of one particular style of music & giving yourself the opportunity to crossover into a wider audience can bring in new fans of all kinds – and a song like “Take On You” is complete confirmation of all this, in action.
A lot of the allure comes from the sincerity of the man behind the microphone…that’s a huge piece of what makes “Take On You” connect, and especially the words he’s written for himself to sing here. In a conversation with his sister who generously donates a whole bunch of her time to helping animals of all kinds, Christopher discovered the inspiration at the core of “Take On You,” and had this to say: “Having lived half my life as a stray animal, I sat down that night and wrote something I thought conveyed that feeling, the moment of adoption.” And so there you have it, in a nutshell of sorts – or you could take the other description to be found online, which is equally true, and reads: “Back beat alt country about my cat. Best listened to really loudly.” No objections here – I love this tune. Songwriting is spot-on, the vocals & lyrics are endearing & thoughtful, and all-in-all, it’s a gentle & delicate tune with that makes a bold impression through its sentiment; it should also be noted that Christopher Griffiths is donating the proceeds of his upcoming single “Take On You” (released Oct. 29th) directly to the L.A. Animal Rescue.
So let’s see, let’s see…where am I at here when it comes to this tune, what else can I tell ya? I’m doing the very best I can to not go off on a major animal-lover tangent here, because I could go right down that rabbit-hole without hesitation – I have two rescues myself. I’ve got my warrior cat Sami Davis Jr. Jr. who has been with me for about sixteen years now, and my dog Opie who I’ve had for four…and if I’m being 100% honest with ya, it’s likely them that rescued me. I’ve got some pretty cool family & all and we exchange cards at Christmastime & all that sure…but I’d jump in front of a train to save my animals. Believe me when I say, I get all the feels when I listen to “Take On You” – when Christopher sings “If you need to lay your burden down, let me take it” – maybe I’m up too late or too early, maybe I haven’t had enough sleep, or maybe just maybe he’s nailed that line so perfectly that if you adopt your own attachments & meaning to it, it’s a lyric that can bring a well of tears to your eyes, like it did with mine. I remember bringing Opie home for the first time…I remember the stress she was under from being caged up in a shelter with all the other dogs and how relieved she seemed to be when she arrived at our place & had a bed, food, and two people that absolutely adored her…and still do. These are those moments that words will never describe well enough…the ones that define our lives and rule our hearts…that true feeling of comfort, welcoming, and home…to me, that was what Griffiths really tapped right into here.
Of course, with “Take On You” also being a self-aware story of its own as well, interpretations of what’s happening in the lyricism will vary, and as always, we ascribe our own personal meanings to them too. Bottom line is, whether you connect to this song for the core of its animal-loving inspirations, or the observational & insightful way that Christopher connects these thoughts & feelings to his own life and experiences – we’re all bound to hear something we identify with that’ll resonate sweetly within ya.
To bring it all back full-circle, while I’m not always the biggest fan of County having been born Grunge – I still know what I like, and that’s this. In my opinion, you’re likely to find that a song like “Take On You” ends up in a sweet place on the fringe, where Christopher’s Country style branches out into terrain you’d find occupied by magnificent songwriters like The Boss or David Gray, or the similarly warm & inviting Americana/Folk vibes you’d find in current acts like The Head And The Heart or Of Monsters And Men. It’s in creating that potential for his music to reach outside of the box someone out there is gonna try to place it in, that Christopher Griffiths succeeds wildly in making sure that task would be outright impossible – and in the process, that allows listeners like myself to walk right in and find a seat permanently on the Griffiths’ bandwagon. “Take On You” is indelible songwriting with humble sincerity.
There’s wonderful depth in “Take On You” that is insatiably endearing to experience – you should all be absolutely looking forward to October 29th this year to add this tune to your own collection & playlists. Lyrically sound, played with heart, and sung remarkably – it’s a quaint gem of a single that reveals a ton about the man behind the music, and certainly speaks volumes on behalf of the quality in his songwriting. I think he’s done an exceptional job on “Take On You” from start to finish, to the point where there’s not a thing I’d even dare to suggest changing remotely; listening to essential ingredients like the keys and the guitar solos in the distance, and the pure magic of the structure as Christopher shifts from verse to chorus…I mean c’mon now folks, he’s lighting this song up with sweetness & soul.
Find out more about Christopher Griffiths at his official site at: https://www.christophergriffithsmusic.com
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