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Kelsey Lee – Rm. 222

Kelsey Lee - Rm. 222

Good songwriters gratefully come face to face with troubles, which they then process through their work. Great songwriters are the ones who can calmly stare down those problems. They have the ability to maintain a tight hold on who they truly are and don’t get spooked no matter how choppy the waters in which they’re sailing may become. 

Great songwriters are not much different from the kinds of leaders you may have encountered in your history books. None of them faced challenges by cursing their luck, by yelling at others or, generally, by losing their cool. Tunesmiths need to be in charge of themselves and of the words and music that they help enter the world. They direct the dramas they create.

Young musician Kelsey Lee already has plenty on her mind, and heartbreak is one of those things. But, on her EP “Rm. 222”, she is not letting it overpower her. No, instead, she investigates hope and hopelessness in the way that a scientist might select data. She’s not willing to buy into the myth of the young artist as a beautiful, lawless hellion. 

The EP’s opening song, “Daybreak”, shows just how intimately Kelsey Lee has come to know the power of her singing and the potential for heartbreak to lend it additional power. The writer’s use of classic folk motifs works well with the lyrics that describe an impossible romantic triangle. 

It’s a good introduction to Lee’s work and a mood that is kept throughout the collection of songs, even if the mood is not always as sombre. “Over the World” includes campfire guitars and whistling, as well Lee’s clever observations with which she sketches lonely characters in search of redemption. 

Lee likes these characters and telling their stories. But as for herself, she is not lost. The country-tinged “It’s Time” may be a tune written about the dying embers of a romantic relationship. But it’s also an ode to self-discovery and to embracing new possibilities. Meanwhile, “Pretty Lady” has the graceful air of an old spiritual. 

Just where does Kelsey Lee see herself? Judging by “Sailor’s Song,” the singer understands that she’s on a journey with no fixed destination. The waves may rise, but the ship will eventually enter calm waters. 

It’s easy for young songwriters to forget who they are as they go chasing their heroes. Kelsey Lee has a good voice and a knack for clever, insightful observations about doomed characters. But she’s not one of them, just the one casting them all in her play about an old world where stories get retold again and again. 

About author

Eduard Banulescu is a writer, blogger, and musician. As a content writer, Eduard has contributed to numerous websites and publications, including FootballCoin, Play2Earn, BeIN Crypto, Business2Community, NapoliSerieA, Extra Time Talk, Nitrogen Sports, Bavarian FootballWorks, etc. He has written a book about Nirvana, hosts a music podcasts, and writes weekly content about some of the best, new and old, alternative musicians. Eduard also runs and acts as editor-in-chief of the alternative rock music website www.alt77.com. Mr. Banulescu is also a musician, having played and recorded in various bands and as a solo artist.
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