Track Review: The Garden of Love // Tally Koren
With a husky voice and cheeky attitude, UK-based singer-songwriter Tally Koren has entertained audiences for approximately one decade (give or take). Known for her engaging melodies and evocative style, the award-winning artist has been described as combining intelligence with emotions in her unique sound. An established artist, Tally has performed in notable venues like The Belgrade Theatre, the Royal Albert Hall and even The House of Lords. On an independent, grassroots level, she has featured in notable press like The Other Side Reviews, Edgar Allan Poets, and many playlists. The latest addition to her critically acclaimed discography is ‘The Garden of Love’.
Most well-known for her breath-taking debut single ‘Beauty of the Duty’, which was playlisted by BBC Radio 2, ‘The Garden of Love’ adopts a smoother, more mellow sound. Simplistic in its sound, ‘The Garden of Love’ uses a heart-breaking acoustic arrangement to enhance Tally’s haunting vocals. A piano is melded with drums and the incorporation of, well I think it’s a flute of some sort, builds a hazy ambience within the kaleidoscopic soundscape. Add Tally’s vocals and you have a shining light woven through the sonic tapestry.
Artistic and intelligent, the moving single is based on a William Blake poem. Tim Heath from the Blake Society Chair shares that “Blake’s most mysterious gift to the future was a set of lyrics without music known as The Songs of Experience. Tally Koren has risen to Blake’s challenge and created a hauntingly beautiful setting for the most important poem in the Songs…” I have to agree with Tim Heath on this.
While there is a melancholic poignancy to ‘The Garden of Love’, the intoxicating vocals bring a tenderness that fills your senses. Delicate and fragile, there is a charm to the track that transcends reality and takes you to a higher plane of existence. I can’t wait to hear Tally’s forthcoming album based on poems.