It never fails to amaze me how communicative instrumental music can be with just a few simple prompts. If lyrics are a shorthand to guide the listener to the place that the artist intends as their final destination, instrumental music is much more of a two-way street.
With Never Gone, Rene Erickson uses the video to suggest the subject matter being dealt with, hints of the innocence of childhood, hope and happiness, and a life yet to be lived. Still, ultimately, it is up to the listener to decide how the music moves them and where it takes them.
The gorgeous cascades of notes and gentle melodies lend themselves to reflection, nostalgia, wistful memory and taking stock of life’s simple pleasures. But such wonderful music can take the heart by the hand and lead it to more specific, more personal places.
And that is the great thing about instrumental music. If music with lyrics is like a train journey designed to take you to one pre-ordained place, instrumental music is the equivalent of hopping on the train and seeing where it takes you. The former is practical and pre-planned, the latter free-spirited and adventurous. And some days, that is precisely what you need.
