‘Passing Time‘ is an ode to anxiety, it is at times unnerving but also soothing. It’s a song that manages to present itself completely open and honest and allows the listener into the heart and mind of the writer. There is something beautifully fragile about it but there is also great strength and passion at its core.
The first thing you’ll notice is the palpitation of the drums and piano working at the base of the soundscape. The drums feel like the rushing blood of a panic attack, it is constant and ever moving but once you stop fighting against it and centre yourself within it and breathe it washes over you with impressive and calming rhythm. The piano has a strange tone to it, like it has been piped in from a dream, there is a hypnotising quality to the keys, they are dissonant but calming.
Vocally the song is a melody whispered, every lyric lovingly crafted and delivered with subtle skill. The song is not just a commentary on anxiety or a story of it, but rather an outreach on how to find true north in the midst of a mental blizzard. It welcomes the listener in from the cold with a warm campfire and an empathetic story.
At just shy of 3 minutes the song is over and just like the anxiety it speaks of it proves just how quickly these things can pass.
The switch from the verse to the bridge offers some much warmer and brighter chords and instrumentation and provides another refuge in amongst the more frantic sounds.
For many of us music is a balm and therapy. ‘Passing Time‘ is a track that offers genuine understanding and actionable advice on how to be still, breathe, and let these feelings pass. The music meets the message to offer a complete package that tells the story just as effectively as the words do.
King Casio are an accomplished band that weave beautiful instrumentation into their songs that transcends the lyrics alone. You can remove one from the other and still feel your way through their music with pretty decent understanding.
