“School” is Irish musician Chris Comhaill’s debut single, but for a first release, it carries impressive compositional depth. The arrangement is warm, folk-oriented, and tinged with the sepia tones – the perfect backdrop for an exploration of romanticized childhood memories.
“It felt right that the first song I put out under my own name be about one of the first things I can remember. I think school is an odd and fascinating time; a world of possibilities and anxieties running mad and unbridled,” Comhaill says. “I didn’t have a very good time of it at school, but despite that I still feel the pull to look back on it with rose-tinted glasses. That romanticisation of the past, coupled with the intensity of that time of life that we all go through, is something I wanted to capture and investigate.”
The song opens with swelling piano chords and strums from an acoustic guitar, and after a couple of turns through the progression, a twangy lead guitar introduces a wistful vocal line that explores the experience of schoolyards, summers, and growing up. There’s clear romanticism here; midway through the track, echoed female vocals evoke the experience of a dream. The track’s overall effect is perhaps best described as a sunflared memory. Yes, it may be idealized, but it’s a comforting daydream to enter into.
Comhaill released a music video preview for “School” on April 25th. The full music video will be released later in May.
