Every now and again a song comes along that reminds you why music is such a potent form of expression. It doesn’t necessarily do it by following some familiar formula or by attempting to beat the current trend. It does it by bringing a real sense of purpose to the act of listening. “Let’s Imagine” is one of those songs. It’s a very positive sounding piece of music and underpinning that is a concept which is designed to get you to think about what’s out there beyond the world you’re already in. What really sells this track is the sense of space it creates. It starts off with a very warm, very organic acoustic guitar which gives it a real sense of intimacy and honesty. The piano adds a very reflective quality and then the bass and drums come in and provide a solid foundation. As the strings come in and the arrangement becomes fuller the track really opens out, going from a very quiet, reflective state to something which is absolutely suited to a room full of voices. It’s a considered decision really. Rather than go in with a massive sound you don’t quite get the energy to build up naturally. You get the listener to settle into it first and then you’re able to take them along with you as the song really kicks in. There’s a real sense of progression there and that’s what makes it work as a journey rather than just a song with verses and choruses.
But above and beyond the instrumentation “Let’s Imagine” is really notable in the questions it raises. At its heart it’s about the prospect of a society based on individual freedom, voluntary cooperation and decentralised technology rather than government. It’s a rather different take on the question of how a society should be organised and offers a very different way of thinking about what a better society might be. What I find fascinating is that the song doesn’t have to be the final word in order to be a good song. Its merit is in the very act of provoking interest. It can be a space where the strange and the unfamiliar can be made palatable. A listener who would never get into a political argument could still be moved by a feeling, a question or a vision through a piece of music. That’s a vital quality in any songwriter. To have something to say is one thing, to have a musical language that actually gets people to listen is quite another. “Let’s Imagine” has both of those qualities in spades with its sheer earnestness. There’s also a real sense of independence behind the release. In an industry that’s so often dictated by formula it’s a real thing to go out and create a song around a particular social philosophy. It’s not all message though. The song has a solid melodic bed and a very accessible arrangement so you’ve got something to enjoy on the musical level as well as the conceptual. The link with John Lennon’s “Imagine” of course situates the song in a long established tradition of music which is about imagining a different world. The most interesting thing about “Let’s Imagine” though is the way it engages with that tradition from its own point of view. It doesn’t just go along with the “Imagine a world without” approach to peace and togetherness that we’re so familiar with. It brings in issues of autonomy, of technology and of voluntary human relationships. That makes the release feel very much of the moment, in a time when people are increasingly considering how technology might change the way we communicate, the way we work and the way we live our lives. The song takes those very broad questions and gives them an emotional context so that you actually experience the vision through the medium of sound rather than through some kind of argument.
The arrangement is absolutely key to making that vision work. The acoustic guitar provides the grounding, the piano brings in the tenderness and the strings add that lift which takes it out of the very intimate realm it starts in. It’s an atmosphere that’s very much of an optimistic bent without losing any of the reflective qualities. There’s something so effective about music that can straddle those two moods. A song can be thought provoking and yet still be something you can tap your foot to, sing along to and come back to. “Let’s Imagine” is a case in point, it’s a song that has both an idea to ponder and a musicality to it that you can enjoy. Its reported live reception actually adds a further layer to the appeal. When people actually pick up their phones and are part of the moment, the song transcends the individual listening experience and becomes a communal experience. That kind of reaction is testament to the power of music to bring people together, even when the song’s meaning is open to interpretation. I see “Let’s Imagine” as a record that’s very much in the spirit of independent music. It’s a very warm, steadily building piece of music and the message is one that’s not going to be afraid to be a bit provocative. What it does show is that you can have a song with a point of view and still have melody, still have emotion, still have a sense of togetherness. Not every listener will come to the same conclusions about the future as the song describes and that’s absolutely fine. A good piece of music doesn’t have to resolve every argument. Its greatest achievement may simply be to spark enough curiosity in people to start one. “Let’s Imagine” is a very good piece of music in its own right, a genuinely spirited and well put together release which merits a listen for its own merits and its very distinct independence of thought. It’s got that acoustic warmth, the expressive piano, the sweeping strings and it builds quite nicely into an anthem. It’s a piece of music that lifts you and at the same time opens the door to a much wider discussion. It’s a good reminder that music can do more than just mirror the world; it can actually provide us with a different way of thinking about what comes next.
