Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Frew released the latest single off of his EP, Cobalt, on January 21. Just like Frew’s previously released singles, “Get Out Alive” and “Antisocial Love Song,” the new single, entitled “Something To Hold On To,” speaks on the anxiety and depression that can follow transitions in life. What separates “Something To Hold On To” as its own unique piece, however, is the belief that the song is told from the mixed perspective of self and depression.
Lyrics like “I can hijack your emotions // And I’ll drive them like I stole them,”
offer words to the feeling of when depression seems to overtake everything from emotions, to the moment-to-moment aspects of life. This is reinforced with the lyric, “Dance into a coma // Follow me.” When hearing those lyrics; the image of someone offering you a simple deal at a crossroads can easily come to mind.
The music track itself also sounds amazing. A combination of purposely skipped percussion beats and backing vocals add intensity to the song. This sets a mood that is only enhanced by the music video it is paired with. The video features Alex Frew standing alone in almost complete darkness, with peaks of light dancing around and on him.
Overall, “Something To Hold On To,” is a deeply mature piece that speaks on the struggles of depression, as well as the false comfort it can sometimes offer. I enjoyed the creativity of using the point of view of depression itself in the song. Using the darkness and lights in the music video aids that storytelling as well. I definitely look forward to hearing what the rest of Alex Frew’s EP Cobalt will sound like.
If you’d like to follow Alex Frew on his journey, follow him on Twitter! Listen to all three of his latest singles and share your thoughts with us about his music with us on Twitter as well!