Life presents us with some difficult and harsh lessons as we gain experience. Hailing from Queensland, Australia, indie five-piece Poison Oak confront us with the reality that we can’t fix someone else’s problems no matter how hard we try. With the intention of moving on, ‘Sarah’, the second single from upcoming EP 1996, is a love letter to the art of letting go.
The acoustic intro makes ‘Sarah’ an intimate dissection of a troubled soul trapped in the prison of trauma. Slivers of electric guitar dance through the song as the offer of escape is made in dulcet Brit rock tones. Vocal hooks grow in size and power as the well intentioned protagonist comes to the realisation ‘Sarah’ cannot be saved by them. ‘Tell me what I’ve done’ signals the single’s turning from declaration of devotion to coming to terms with not always being able to help those you love.
Infectious vocal harmonies lift the song to new emotional summits with the cushion of crashing drums for the inevitable come down. As the song drips in the magnitude of letting someone go, the guitar solo manipulates the heart strings just as easily as those of nylon or steel. Poignancy clouds the air as vocalist James Balthes ruminates ‘You don’t know who you are/ And that’s okay’, as we realise there are people like titular ‘Sarah’ who’ve become so consumed by their pain, they’ve lost themselves in the process. If you are one of those people, that sentiment will burn for some time, and you’re not alone.
‘Sarah’ is a heart-wrenching play on emotions as the need to let to go save both parties in a relationship is a cruel yet necessary life lesson. Longing to gain wisdom without having to grow through life’s tribulations in the first places, the line ‘I hope you find a better place to stay’ being drowned out by blossoming guitars and uplifting vocal choruses stings through to song’s end.
‘Sarah’ is available now across all major streaming platforms and EP 1996 will be available from March 19th. For the latest news from Poison Oak, including new releases and tour dates, you can follow their social medias linked below.
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