“Hatred?” is a poignant folk meditation from Baldy Crawlers, inspired by a photograph that deeply affected member Martin Maudal, depicting soldiers standing over a prisoner and the misery shared by those on opposing sides. Acoustic guitar, cello, and three-part harmonies frame a moving reflection on empathy, war, and the pressures that divide us.
Warming acoustic tones enter the track with serenely melodic prowess, then leading seamlessly into a dual-layered melodic introspection: “Words came flying, from his mouth / sounded like a brother to my ears.” This initial display of empathy and sameness is echoed in that “brother” line, resonating in the subsequent stark shift—reflective of a hate-filled society and the pushes to embrace animosity rather than unity. “Oh god must I hate this man?” the lead delivery stirs amidst an uptick in cello prominence and clap-laden rhythmic fervor.
The vocal performance evolves aptly between upfront lushness and later ferocity, matching the evolution from brother-like embrace to graver imagery, such as references to “hatred” and solemn depictions of dark times: “Stands a soldier long since lost / in the fury and darkness of war.” The final minute is particularly resonant in its layered harmonic work, sounding like an internal conflict of the mind where a desire to empathize and love someone battles with another dialogue to resort to hatred instead.
An enveloping folk production, with especially beautiful cello work from Renata Bratt, pairs with timely themes of humanity and societal pressure, making for a deeply affecting standout from Baldy Crawlers, who also caught our ears in the past with the As Old as My Tongue EP and the track “Bring Me a Flower.”
Check out the track’s excellent music video, as well, below:
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
