Oak & Ash flirt with heartbreak in “Keep the Light On”

Mixing uncertainty with entreaty, Oak & Ash ask that their lover “Keep the Light On”. What starts as a staid rock song about hope and desire quickly takes a nuanced turn.

The opening vamp leads directly into a verse with a simple melody. More spoken than sung, it sounds like a conversation with a lover before one leaves. But the much more energetic chorus belies a worrying fear.

“I hope you understand/ You hold my heart in your hand/ So, keep the light on,” Rich Tuorto sings as Chris Tuorto fills in the spaces with his guitar.

The pizzicato bass from Paul Gramigna and sparse drums from Bryan Garbe add to the sense that there’s a certainty missing. The meaning behind the lyrics shifts away from the obvious optimistic stance.

Those soulful hooks layer meaning. “When my eyes get too heavy and my hands start to shake/ I need to hear your voice to keep my body awake.”

As the ending begins, it’s a direct reference to the opening lines. Except, the sudden ending cuts off the hopeful lyric “I know you’ll keep it safe.” A complex ending with heavy emotion.

Stream “Keep The Light On” below.

Ben McCoy

Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.