Aquilo and Downton Abbey

Today I have music for you by an artist that has some absolutely incredible and moving music. Aquilo is a musical duo out of London, and they are kind of new to the music scene. While they have been making music together for about two years now, they didn't drop a debut album till recently. I think Aquilo is one of the music industry's best kept secrets. Their underground nature and lesser known status, keeps them open to creating the kind of music that they do create. And finding artists who are good at created this kind of emotional and haunting and soulful music is so hard to find. But Aquilo pulls it off with ease and grace, giving us something that sounds like magic. If there were an award given out for the saddest songs of the year, this song would most definitely take a high ranking spot on that list. Aquilo uses electronic percussion and dreamy synths, something to amplify the somber atmosphere and the shadows that seem to hang over everything. This song also features a brilliantly orchestrated musical track, with a gentle piano and heart tugging violins, and a melody that leaves you just as heart broken as the vocalist. Speaking of which, we get to hear the breathtaking and ethereal vocals of Aquilo, something that envelops yourself in soft wisps. I don't know why, but when the images that run through my mind as the song plays, are all in grey scale. Every tree, every blade of grass, every facial expression, is illustrated in shades of grey and black. This song just leaves you in a trance, in a place that leaves you in a place that cannot easily be put into words. Aquilo has a very lush electronic landscape, but in this song, we get to hear the gentle and melodic sides of this. Not as if Aquilo is some high energy DJ set or anything. But this song gives the piano room to breathe and shatter our hearts with its beauty and yearning. There is a sense of desperation and loss in the vocals, a sense of pleading and heart wrenching sadness. And the thing is, there is so much simplicity in the make of the song. How is it, that something so simple can be this powerful and moving. While the song takes on darker tones, it is absolutely enchanting, keeping us in its grip and making us unable to let go. I mean I cannot skip this song. Ever. If it starts, I have to listen to the whole thing through because it is a story. It is a story that many of us have lived, and is one that we cannot bear to tear ourselves away from. The melancholy in this song, makes it one of those that is on the soundtrack of watching the rain fall, walking alone at night, or being in the solitude of an idle car. This mournful ballad is one of the best captures of Aquilo's brilliance. It is as elegant as it is moving and gives us that same sense of yearning and mourning that weaves its way throughout the whole song. This song is the beautiful culmination of haunting and stunning vocals, gentle instrumentals, and unmatched production. Today's instrumental song is from one of my favorite TV shows right now. Downton Abbey is currently running on it's last season, which is not such a saddening thing to me, considering I am still on season 1. But I would be an idiot to deny the sheer brilliance and majesty of this score. I mean it perfectly encapsulates everything is Downton Abbey. Scandal, riots, and family drama all against the background of the proper British way of life. There is suspense and grace and movement throughout the entire piece, and is a complete work of art. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!