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Love is a hard concept to nail down, especially in a four minute pop song. You may think that’s a ridiculous statement considering the tight leash the concept of love has had on songwriters since music was a thing. Hell, love is something that rules us all. So surely with so many people talking about it someone has managed to capture its spirit in song right? The answer is sadly not often enough. We’re bombarded constantly with music that presents a watered down version of love, something that stops at ‘boy likes girl’, or we have the mushy breakup ballad. Yet every once in a while a pop song can carry the complexities of love, and the latest case is Antony & Cleopatra‘s Sirens.
Antony and Cleopatra find loneliness in love on their track Sirens. They brilliantly capture the kaleidoscope of emotions with their songwriting and rich production.
No we’re not talking about the two historical lovers, but the name is fitting considering how much love and passion this duo inject into their work. Antony & Cleopatra is British singer/ songwriter Anita Blay and Sydney’s own Alexander Burnett. You may have heard Burnett’s work with the likes of Flight Facilities, Alison Wonderland and George Maple to name a few. Meanwhile Blay has been writing and recording music of her own since 2008, performing under the moniker CocknBullKid. The pair have been playing together as Antony & Cleopatra since last year, their separate talents coming together wonderfully.
Sirens is a brilliant way to be introduced to this dance floor grooving duo. When you think love songs you think cheesy confessional ballads and worn out images of sunshine, rainbows and other such silly things. The truth is love is not a feeling but a phenomenon, a kaleidoscope of emotions that is forever changing. Things such as fear and loneliness easily give birth to love, and it is a sentiment that Antony & Cleopatra do refreshingly well. Blay’s calm voice trembles across the scattering beat and distant sirens as she sings “Popular love songs, we sing ourselves to sleep“.
In one line they totally nail love and and the complications it brings. How often you can wonder why life isn’t like the songs heard on the radio or glimpsed in a Disney film before loneliness leads to a burning desire to feel affection. As the song continues Burnett’s vocals enter the fray, building on the ideas of seeking out a connection whilst lost in the maelstrom of modern city life. The track builds with Blay’s voice layered repeatedly as she sings “I need someone in my life who can care for me, before the sirens have their way with me“.
The longing is there. It aches and it yearns. And it’s good. To be able to capture this feeling in such a simple, subtle way is one that should be applauded. There’s no doubt Antony & Cleopatra are a pair you need to keep an eye on, their songwriting ability is of the highest quality and is only a delicious taste of what the dynamic duo has to offer.
While you’re here, check out our list of Disney songs that rule.
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