Sean MacLeod's "Inside Out (Radio Edit)" Review

The voice that comes in is very low, more like a conversation than a song, and you are instantly drawn to it. From the beginning, “Inside Out” does just that. No big opening or anything dramatic. It just gradually draws you in and captures your interest before you realize what is going on.

It does not appear as though Sean MacLeod is trying to get your attention. He already has it. The music keeps playing without being too loud and the drums provide a steady pulse to the song. It's more of a person sharing their thoughts and you're there to listen.

There isn't really a distinct message to the lyrics. They involve us in who we are, in reality, in showing what we want people to see. These are large concepts, but the song doesn't make them seem too grand or complicated. MacLeod will make you think about your life, without telling you how to feel.

I was struck by the waiting in the song. It does not hurry anywhere or rush through its time. When it's needed he's there and his bigger voice is natural once the chorus really begins. It sounds sincere, rather than simply becoming bigger for the song.

A slight change in the second half. It's more purposeful in its gait and the performance is tighter-sounding. Everything begins to fall into place, as though in a private conversation, which gradually grows more and more convincing. You are drawn into it as it moves forward. It doesn't sound like it's trying to push you into anything.

I could not help but notice how grounded the song is, despite the lyrics posing questions that can have no easy answer. It allows you to remain in that unknown rather than fix it for you. This doesn't happen very often, nor is it the reason it's sticking in my head.

There's a sense of calm confidence throughout the song too. It has a tone of someone who has thought deeply about identity and truth and has found a simple way to address those concepts. He doesn't sound like one of the preachers. He's simply straightforward.

At the end, I couldn't think about the music or how it was made. I was thinking about myself and what I'm presenting and what my actual life is like. That's what I recalled when the song was finished.