Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Easing through the speakers with a unnecessary nimbleness, the opening bars of Potter’s Daughter’s new single and music video “We Could Be” are deceptively soft, concealing a strength that will start to swell and penetrate the mix by the time we reach the :30 mark in the song. “We Could Be” has an understated physicality that, with the right set of earbuds, is enough to send a jolt straight into your chest when it comes into full-color bloom around the time vocals enter the picture, but it doesn’t need a lot of love from the volume knob to feel as monolithic as it undisputedly can be.
The melodies in this single are sharp and a little rigid, working against the grain as we get into the chorus to leave a little room up front for a spoken word soundbite to inject the music with the unsettling news of more unarmed Black men meeting a grotesque and unjust fate. The ominousness of the newsreel sample mixed with the almost sugary tonality of the keys sinking into the percussion leaves us with a feeling of damage and unrest – and, if you see the video for “We Could Be,” I think you’ll understand why this was necessary.
Potter’s Daughter are on the frontlines of a non-visible movement that musicians will have to fight themselves as they join forces with those doing in the same in a very visible fashion around the world this autumn, and with “We Could Be,” they fire off incendiary shots at an oppressive system that are chills-inducing every time I listen to the track. I’m very impressed with what they’ve assembled for fans and newcomers to their sound alike in this release, and if you haven’t heard it yet yourself, this October presents you with what could be the most important time to do so.
Loren Sperry
