“There is a throbbing / In the middle of his chest / As he stares out into the distance / Into the deepness of the evening / And what the sun has left.”
“Nothing Special.” Do not be fooled by the title of this single, for this tune is actually ‘incredibly special.’ Released today, this latest single from Vancouver, BC singer-songwriter Zach Kleisinger is nothing short of a stunning, heartbreaking, raw song about unprovoked anxiety. The single is also the first taste of new music from Zach’s upcoming full-length album, “Their Symposium,” which is scheduled for release on August 20th via Devil Duck Records.
As an emerging artist, Zach Kleisinger was quietly establishing himself within the folk-roots music community following the release of his 2018 “I Hope It’s Calm” EP, but like many of his contemporaries, found this blossoming music career temporarily derailed when faced with a global pandemic. “I was fortunate to share the stage with many brilliant musicians, such as The Deep Dark Woods, Charlotte Cornfield, and Sam Lynch,” he recalls. “I released a few singles along the way, while focusing on writing and performing new material … and now, as our previous world continues to circulate through the washing machine of Covid-19, I have concluded it is suitable to put forth an album.”
“As he goes down, she goes running / To pull him out of that state of mind / If it’s just his life, and if it’s worth living / She’ll hold it up in a bead of light.”
Produced in Vancouver by Cody Taylor (Gabby Malta), “Nothing Special” finds Kleisinger sticking to the formula attributed to his early success – writing and performing compositions that reflect on the human condition, our anxieties, and our vulnerabilities. “This song is about the unprovoked anxiety that may grip the human heart at any given moment,” he shares. “In this case, it enters a man as he fastens his presence to the last bits of the evening before it topples into the night.” Soft guitar tones create a pensive atmosphere from the offset, and are joined only by Zach’s vocals until the arrival of the first chorus, when subdued accompaniment is gradually phased in alongside the artist and his guitar.
Additional harmonies from Sam Lynch midway through the second verse render goosebumps, so perfectly timed are the arrival of her haunting melodies. “He contemplates the desire he has of provoking a meaning to his life while peering out at a world that responds with silence … he is then overwhelmed by senseless insignificance,” adds Zach. “The song then follows his mind as it detaches from this insignificance and thinks of his partner and the life they have together. By doing so, he makes his insignificance seem significant.”
“But he knows there’s nothing special / He knows there’s nothing special / About his situation / About his situation.”
Photo Credit: Stephanie Lynch
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
