Karl Blau – “Poor The War Away”
Karl Blau hails from the Pacific Northwest and he makes the kind of introverted, self-produced, adventurous pop music that sounds like it could only be made in relative seclusion. His forthcoming album, Out Her Space, is due out in November by way of Bella Union and we’ve heard the first single “Slow Children.” Today, we’re premiering a brand new song Blau calls “Poor The War Away.” It’s a song about the bigger implications of regional conflicts, and Blau elaborated on the message via email:
This song is about pointing out Captain Obvious. War is a game for the wealthy and the uneducated, yet it involves the entire world. So many things to pay attention to right now, and we are far from starving this beast of fabricated hate, and though I may preach to the choir mostly here – let’s keep a positive mantra on our minds that we can create the means to change. We can change our minds and reframe our reality. And, yes, you can dance the Macarena to “Poor The War Away.”
“Poor The War Away” isn’t all doom-and-gloom, and Blau’s right when he suggests that there’s a danceable quality to this new offering. Muted horns, drums, chimes, and a razor-sharp guitar part pile on top of each other to create a steady, rolling beat that Blau eventually joins in on. “Let me tend her on a bender, Lady Liberty,” Blau sings, never losing a sense of humor despite the song’s dire subject matter. Listen below.
Out Her Space is out 11/17 on Bella Union.