Folk-pop songstress Alex Krawczyk journeyed to the soul with the release of her latest single, "Love Through Sound," a release day marked with somber significance, as it also coincided with the birthday of the cherished Grateful Dead muse, Jerry Garcia. It's no coincidence. The song is part homage, part love letter, written with longtime collaborator Robbie Roth and rendered at Toronto's Union Sound.
What Krawczyk has is more than a song, it's a deeply felt meditation on unity, healing, and the ways music can transcend all barriers. Building on her folk and Americana roots, she incorporates the textures of classic rock to construct a soundscape that is both timeless and familiar, subtly transportive. For those who've been listeners from the start, "Love Through Sound" is another step in her artistic development. It demonstrates her ability to turn feeling into music. This song was written as a thank-you song to the Grateful Dead for the inspiration they have given to us for six decades now, through many of the variations of the band post-Jerry. For the wisdom and healing in their soulful songs, for their efforts and labor to bridge the divides in music.
The song is an ode to the Grateful Dead's legacy. Subtle references to Casey Jones, the Cumberland mine, and Uncle Sam's blues pepper the verses, not as a patina, but as a weft in a broader tapestry that celebrates the lasting legacy of Garcia and his bandmates. The song sounds of the moment, while still resonating with the legacy of six decades of Deadhead history.
Follow Alex Krawczyk on Facebook