Matthew Weaver – “Crimson Sheet”
Matthew Weaver – “Crimson Sheet” – Single Review
If there’s been one thing that’s become easy for me to recognize over the past two decades of writing about music, it’s when I run into an artist or band that has an intense level of knowledge about the art that far exceeds my own. Matthew Weaver is one of those dudes without a doubt. I read the write-up that’s posted along with his video for “Crimson Sheet” at YouTube and had to look up more than half of it to get the full idea of what’s happening here in this single…but that’s all good – I like to learn and I’ve always completely acknowledged how little I actually know. Beyond what does and doesn’t sound good, or anything to do with music, there is such precious little knowledge kept between these ears of mine.
Anyhow. A ton of you out there have a solid foundation of understanding the craft, so here are some tidbits of information that are pulled from Matthew’s YouTube channel that’ll fill you in on what you need to know. He’s “included a subtle but symbolic musical reference to the French Impressionist composer Lili Boulanger” in the form of the “chord progression from her work “Clairières dans le ciel” (Glades In The Sky).” The song itself “follows the Fibonacci sequence” and is “55 measures long,” reaching the “high C6 vocal climax at the golden mean.” Like I was saying…there’s an excellent chance that all means a whole lot more to you than it would to me – the most I could tell ya about the Fibonacci Sequence is that it’s the corner where math meets music, and anytime math is involved, I’m usually out. Don’t get me wrong, I still listen to quite a few songs that would incorporate similar elements into them, I just don’t tend to realize that’s what’s actually taking place unless someone is kind enough to point it all out. Beyond the technical aspects, you’ll find sincerity, passion, and purpose – that’s where things usually stand out to me, and the point where music matters to one & all universally. In the case of “Crimson Sheet,” it is dedicated to Matthew’s cousin Evan, who unfortunately passed away last year at the age of 36. The best way I know of to honor the fallen is through art & music…we live on through it.
All-in-all, it’s a beautiful song…”Crimson Sheet” is extremely comforting and soul soothing, while also displaying many dramatic twists & turns as it plays from start to finish. While written by Matthew, it’s actually performed by the expert hands of Jordi Castella on the piano, and sung brilliantly by Caroline Joy Clarke, who is an award-winning soprano from what I’ve read. You can certainly tell by what you’ll hear, that much I can confirm without a doubt – she’s sensational, and “Crimson Sheet” would be undeniably challenging for the best singers out there…to hear how seamlessly she hits the mark of this song’s most intense demands is quite something to experience. She’s a genuine professional, and credit to Matthew for finding the right voice to deliver an evocative song that clearly means a lot to him for a variety of reasons. Are you going to get the full storyline that has Weaver writing about “an optimistic perspective on death through the story of a fragile oak leaf finding one last burst of energy before letting go and soaring to a new place?” I’ll put it to ya this way…if you do, congratulations, you’d be among the clairvoyant. Music like this doesn’t really work like that…at least not in my opinion; we rarely know the motivations and/or inspirations – but we do feel a moment like this, and it’s undeniably moving all the same. While background details can always be nice to read about and definitely fill in a few gaps for us as we listen, really, it always comes down to what resonates with who we are and whether or not the music has the ability to reach out and touch us in some way, shape, or form; and I’d argue that this does.
I’m not hearing anything out of place or out of sorts…I don’t feel like we could have asked anything else other than exactly what we get out of the sensational performances by both Caroline Joy & Jordi…all that essential stuff checks out, and if you’re a fan of this style of music, I can’t imagine you not being equally satisfied yourself. Matthew set out to create a moving, thought-provoking piece of music with artistic dimension and depth, and as a result of a smart collaborative effort, that’s exactly what this is. It’s a composition to be proud of not only for how perfected it’s come out in the final results of what we hear, but certainly also for the reasons it was created & its dedication to Matthew’s cousin Evan (R.I.P.). I’d be willing to bet there’s a whole lot of folks that’ll listen to “Crimson Sheet” & be astounded by how mesmerizingly melodic the piano is with the powerful vocals of Caroline Joy in tandem…and rightly so – Matthew Weaver has written a remarkably beautiful song, and it’s performed to the highest standards.
Discover more music by Matthew Weaver at his official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@matthewweaver3931
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