Hecojeni is a band/duo that includes two longtime friends that played together in the band Chillbumps in the late 80s/early 90s that have reconnected many years later after differing life events kept them apart. The result of this reunion is the quietly emotional single, “Catch Me When I Fall.”
What you might first notice about this song, is that it’s brief. It clocks in at just under three minutes. It begins with a strummed electric guitar rhythm and sounds a bit like amplified folk music. It has the feel of a rock act doing a folkish song. Stylistically, it also feels like a lo-fi track. Like something, perhaps, tracked in somebody’s bedroom.
Vocally, it mainly has one singer, with little backing singing. This lead vocal is scratchy and saturated with desperation. It’s raw and real, and makes the listener hurt with and for this character. There is a lead guitar part on it, but it’s a simple, non-show-off-y guitar fill in the track’s beginning. Along the way, however, there is also a backwards guitar, psychedelic solo, as well. The song’s outro is a thumping section that comes off much closer to a quiet beating heart, than a loud, powerful jackhammer.
The song’s lyric focuses on poor communication in a relationship. For instance, one partner wonders why the other one never calls. It also deals with trust issues. Partners trust that the other one will be there when they need them most. Friends might be unresponsive to each other during difficult times, but our lovers are expected to, as the lyric suggests, catch them when they fall.
There is an overriding vibe of regret running through this song’s vocal and instrumentation. These suggest disappointment. Why wasn’t this other person there when the singer’s character needed that other most? This is the least that other person could do, after all.
One gets the sense this song is a sort of ‘let me get this off my chest’ kind of recording. Things didn’t work out well, and writing and singing a song about it is a little bit like therapy. If he can sing about it, perhaps he can deal with it and heal from it. For the listener, it can be awkward to be privy to such private details. We don’t really know this guy, but he’s willing to allow us into his most intimate thoughts and feelings. It may also validate some of the listener’s concerns. If a musical artist can open up about such painful experiences, maybe the listener can come to grips with personal trouble spots in his/her relationships. Therefore, it can also act as a variety of therapy for the listener, as well.
Obviously, this isn’t your typical radio song. Even airwave hits that address personal problems are draped in pop hooks and sonic embellishments to make even the most pressing concerns come off entertaining. This song is not meant to entertain, even though it’s done well. The music and the singing match the content. These are sincere words expressed in an unvarnished format, intended to make the listener feel what its writer feels. And in that regard, it’s a clear success.
Garth Thomas