The Sky Is Too

John Carroll Kirby “Suntory”

“Suntory” is a challenging song to write about because while I think of some poetic ways to describe its beauty, all of them seem to cheapen the sublime loveliness of the piece. Does it sound like waking up to a perfect, luxurious morning? Do the piano chords and synth tones somehow feel exactly like gentle golden sunlight on your skin? Does it have the ultra-relaxed and informal feel of Sun Ra’s “Sleeping Beauty,” one of my favorite recordings of all time? Yes, definitely, but that’s rather banal compared to what the music actually feels like. There are some songs that are so fun to describe that the music sometimes can’t live up to the words, but this is very much the opposite. This is the sort of abstraction that you immediately and instinctively understand. It’s music describing a feeling beyond the utility of words.

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Yaya Bey “Blue”

“Blue” has a tight pocket but otherwise feels totally weightless and untethered, making Yaya Bey’s voice sound like it’s floating in the sky above that gently popping bass groove. It’s serene funk. She’s singing reassuring lyrics about allowing yourself to feel pain and move on, sounding as though she’s attained enlightenment and wants to pass it on. You can hear some residual angst in her voice but it’s drowned out by her compassion, most likely for her past self.

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