Musical Analysis #1

Deep Water

    Hello, and thank you for reading my blog, which will be a musical analysis of the song "Deep Water", performed by Kainen Kellum. The song is a haunting and melancholic tune that tells a story of the murder of a young man. Today I want to talk about the elements of this song that resonate with me, and the characteristics that have left me listening to this spooky tune, time and time again. As well as giving a brief overview of Kianen and his music.

"Deep Water" was released on May 13th of 2022 in the United States. The song has several elements that continue to keep me engaged every time I hear it. But today I want to focus on the Chords, Melody, and Tempo of the song.  

Deep Water

Chords

    While it only takes four chords to play this song, they still manage to take you on an emotional journey. The song starts off with a lonely guitar riff, playing a set of Minor chords that set the tone of the song. This song has just started and it is already producing deep emotions of mystery and sadness. Then Kainen begins to sing, producing a low range with his voice, matching the guitar chords perfectly. The progression leads you to the chorus, where it then adds a C7 chord that chills you to the bone. The chords in this song represent perfectly what I love in music, chords that can move you and make you feel emotion from start to finish.

Tempo

    The tempo remains pretty consistent throughout most of the song. Steady and slowly progressing the story through two verses and two choruses. The slow tempo keeps the story unsettling and quite somber. The deliberate strums on the guitar do a good job at setting the energy of the song. It makes you just want to sit around a campfire and listen to the cautionary tale that it brings. The setting remains slow paced until the Outro begins, a chorus where Kianen slowly begins to pick up the pace. You feel the lyrics coming at you faster and faster, as if the killer has picked you as his next victim. Approaching you quickly, and then the final chords play and the song is over. The tempo in this song perfectly commands the energy of the listener. Keeping them engaged with a moderate pace, until you've heard the story and then the pace picks up, shocking you with what has happened. 

Melody

    The Melody of this song invokes an emotional impact on me every time that I hear it. The background of the guitar strumming, with the guitar licks in between the lyrics, keep the story moving along. Almost acting as a horse for the lyrics to ride on. The soft lyrics sung by the growl like singing voice. Warning the listener of the dangers lurking. Everything is integrated perfectly to frame the song and make it stand out in your memory. The melody leaves an impact on you, leaving you disturbed and sad, but begging for another verse. This melody is very catchy and memorable, simple yet profound. It is exactly what I look for when searching for new music. 

    Being an up and comer in the music scene, there's not much to find about Kianen Kellum. He is labeled as a Country singer, but I personally think a lot of his music draws inspiration from Folk music. He writes his own songs and released his debut album A Fool's Pipedream, in May of 2022. Kianen has garnered respect from fellow artists such as Drayton Farley, who continues to praise Kianen's songs, and even performs alongside him. 

Interview with Kianen Kellum

Kianen Kellum and Drayton Farley

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope that you have enjoyed the music and the analysis that I have made. Kianen Kellum knocked it out of the park with this song and I hope that he continues to deliver with this type of beautiful story telling music. 

A Fools Pipedream

My Old Kentucky Home

Hello my fellow music lovers! My name is Cameron Elkins and I am from the beautiful state of Kentucky, The Bluegrass State. I was born and raised right in the heart of the Appalachians Mountains, and grew up playing and exploring the Daniel Boone National Forest. I have traveled and lived in many places, but My Old Kentucky Home will always be special to me. I love the scenery, the people, and especially the music that this area has given life to. 

I was raised almost exclusivity listening to Bluegrass music. So I have always enjoyed listening to that style and remembering my homeland. I have a musical family who holds Bluegrass music very close to their heart. Growing up listening to the beautiful melodies that my mother would play with my grandpa, has always made me want to learn to play with them. So in recent years I have started learning to play the guitar. These days I have broadened my spectrum of music that I listen to and enjoy attending concerts of newer styles of folk and country. 

The link here will take you to an old song performed by the great Dr. Ralph Stanley. Regarded by many as one of the greatest Bluegrass Musicians of all time. 

Medicine Springs

The picture below is of The Natural Bridge, a natural landmark in the Natural Bridge State Park. I have hiked to the top of this beautiful bridge many times and enjoyed it stunning views.