Lemonade (Charity Release) by Ramblerman is a simple song, which is full of soul and seems like a late-night coffee time within the confession. With Stephen Dobson, who creates under the name, putting his heart into this indie treasure, it becomes evident that the Canberra-based artist is putting his experience as a visual designer and storyteller into some really deep musical flesh. Harnessing the intimacy of folk and the comfort of soul and the indie edge, the song is informed by an impressive array of influences-- consider the poetic grit of Bill Callahan or the defensive sincerity of Big Thief--but it forges its own path.
The vocals are conveyed with the intimate candor that draws you near, the timbre is soulful with folk reticence to produce a sound that is both classic and desperately current. It is that voice, intentional and bare, which bears the brunt of the song, drifting between a hush of vulnerability to an unobtrusive, accruing urgency. The tune is slow, open and meditative, giving each note time to breathe and linger, without haste to the experience.
There is a sense of endless cycles, repetitive motifs and airy arrangements, kept in check by instrumentation, without being overwhelming. It is this restraint that increases the lyrical themes the grinding repeat of inner conflict bound to depression, the frantic search of change, all bound together with fibres of endurance and quiet strength. Dobson is making individual darkness collective, he is urging us to speak up and to gain power together in the pain.
The thing that leaves me feeling the most is the fact that Lemonade makes catharsis into charity, with all the proceeds donated to Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute. It is not only a song, but the hope of perseverance, reminding me that in the darkest times we can still find a way to shine some light on the shadows. Ramblerman cements himself as one of Canberra's most compelling indie voices. This song stays in your mind, a kind of a nudge to continue.
.jpg)
