I watched John Wick for the first time last night. It is obscenely violent, unbelievably cool, and very unrealistic. But one aspect that makes sense is the film's central theme of grief, a significant portion of which is dedicated to the loss of a pet. There is no grief quite like the passing of an animal, especially one that's a devoted companion. Today, H.C. McEntire shared a song that Wick might raise his whiskey on the rocks to. "Rows of Clover," the latest single from her forthcoming album Every Acre that's out January 27, is a sprawling and tender ballad for grieving the loss of a "steadfast hound." McEntire's textural lyrics act as grounding couplets when overwhelming emotion can easily send one's mindset into a spiral.
"As an artist, if what I’m after is meaning and understanding, then vulnerability is how I find my edges," McEntire said. "In my experience, if that pursuit is honest and unfiltered, on some level it will also be uncomfortable. Every Acre encouraged a slow observation of everything around me—great heights and vast depths, immeasurable static, and some fragments still coming into focus."
She goes on to note that the lyrics to the chorus were the first thing written for the entire album "They are dark and straightforward, unapologetic—a body in pain, a broken spirit, a tired heart. I needed to acknowledge my grief and depression in an unmistakable way; to name it and know the feeling of it being lifted by my lungs."
Listen to "Rows of Clover" below.
