Xena Glas “and and and”

“and and and” is such a beautiful art piece. Xena Glas manages to achieve so much with the purity and simplicity of form where her soulful, dreamlike vocal melts into the wind as guitar melodies unwind and weave into surreal dreams and poetic, poignant lyrics fly into your ears.

“and and and” is a song about insomnia — the struggle of falling asleep, and the unraveling of emotions in dreamlands where you finally feel safe and free. Glas tackles the common, most relatable experience when you put on camouflage in public, hiding away your true emotions and self, pretending to be ok, and only when you are alone, those emotions find their way to you again.

If music has taste, then “and and and” would taste like rain and the silky morning fog, humid and fully absorbed light and warmth from the sun. As a song that balances between reality and surreality, there’s a touch of obscurity that shifts in nuance throughout the song as the background sounds fill in the visual threads that complete this experience.

Xena Glas’ work of words is another highlight of the song. The title “and and and” conveys the nature of dreams where ideas and thoughts are multilayered and random, while connected to our subconscious and daily experience. “You could fly if your wings were dry” is a metaphor for the heaviness of life, weighing you down. “Wings need water, wings need trauma, wings need life” translates to “adversity breeds strength.”

Details in the sonic are another that you don’t want to miss in this song — the smooth transition that is so artistically orchestrated; the gentle lift of strings; and the strengthful built-up of Glas’ vocal performance. “and and and” is a song that deserves your attention and revisitation. Although simple, Xena Glas has put her heart into the delicate, graceful soundscapes.