Be it Arih SK’’s vocals or the lyrics, there’s a gentleness to the Niagara artist’s third album Hold it Together. It shines through each track as if he were either offering solace to an inconsolable child or a heart that just needs a gentle touch.
Arih’s music is a reflection of his life and the things that matter, and through his personal and poignant lyrics and simple yet compelling melodies, Hold It Together navigates the complexities of life’s fragility and the struggle to maintain emotional bonds.
On the album, Arih says,
“The album name comes from the first song, ‘Hold It Together’. At the beginning, there is a sample of my youngest daughter talking and singing. I think she was around two then and now she’s five. Every time I hear it, I’m hit by the passage of time. Every year it hits harder. So much has changed. It feels sad and beautiful all at once. There are nature sounds throughout the song, and at the end there is a recording of a toy lullaby that she would fall asleep to. So to me, the song feels a bit like a day and a night that starts and ends with family. You hold things together for your family and then your family holds you together. The last song on the album, ‘Let’s Let Time’, is about giving in to the flow of time and letting go because we change over time and nothing can last forever.”
In crafting music that blends upbeat rhythms with themes of loss, nostalgia, family, and relationships, Arih strikes a universal chord, reminding listeners that struggles are shared experiences in the tapestry of existence. Amidst life’s varied challenges, he imparts the importance of anchoring oneself to tangible or intangible facets, acknowledging the fleeting nature of time and the finite days one possesses.
Among the album’s standout tracks, “Miss You Like I Should,” delves into the elusive passage of time amid loss. Arih poignantly articulates,
“It is a song about loss and guilt. Loss is sad. But there’s a special kind of sadness when you have lost someone important and enough time has passed that you don’t feel it every day. In those moments of forgetting, the grief is gone, but when you realize that you forgot, there is a feeling of guilt, and I find myself asking why I don’t miss you like I should?”
Hold it Together is a reminder of life’s impermanence, encouraging listeners to grasp onto meaningful anchors amidst the short nature of time.
MUST LISTEN TRACKS: “Nearer”, “Lawnchairs (The Backyard Party)”, “Miss You Like I Should”
