Flip on the TV and see presidents, rock stars, and the Kardashians. The distance between these lives and the one holding that remote is vast. Mo Klé’s latest single, “Parallel Worlds”, jumps right into this gulf.
The dichotomy slides into the orchestration in the first seconds with bright guitars and subdued bass. Sitting sharply between the two rests René Grünenfelder’s voice. Drawing on the storytelling-tradition of Americana, folk, and singer-songwriter genres, the pain of this separation comes alive.
“We’re living in parallel worlds, so distant like heaven and hell,” Mo Klé explains. It’s untraversable. And yet, there’s something in those glitzy lives that makes us think that one day, that’ll be us. “Somewhere in the suburban streets behind large television screens,” we may even be watching the same celebrities, but that doesn’t mean our paths are the same.
As the synth organ chords creep into the mix, reverberating in the newly opened space, it draws its own parallel: a tonal distinction from the guitars. In fact, the warble makes the guitar feel smooth, filling the bass’s role from earlier.
The strong narrative weave from beat to syllable proves promising for the full album release on October 29th with this titular track.
Stream “Parallel Worlds” below.
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.
