There’s a grandeur to sincerity, and Merlin Swann embraces it wholeheartedly on their new song delivered in record time as “I Want To (Song For Susan)”, one of the highlights off their next EP "WE’RE WATCHING YOU". The Manchester duo, known for melting down Country Pop, Soft Rock, and Folk Pop into something warm and inviting, present a song that feels less like a performance than an instance lived.
This is a love song, but not the slick, supernormal kind. It’s based on real experience, conceived as an homage to unflagging support following a life-changing accident. That emotional foundation adds a rare authenticity to the song. Not only do you hear the sentiment, but you also feel what’s being fully expressed behind it.
Merlin Swann keeps it with restraint and purpose. The arrangement takes its time to let the emotion breathe, allowing clarity and connection to prevail over unnecessary embellishment. There’s a gentleness to the delivery that suits the song’s function impeccably, creating an atmosphere of contemplation that lingers long after its final note.
What gives “I Want To (Song For Susan)” its teeth is its unsparing honesty. It doesn’t attempt to dramatize or exaggerate, it trusts the story it tells. The trust pays off, resulting in a track that feels completely their own yet also relatable on a mass scale. It is dedicated to faithfulness, gratitude, and the sort of love that lasts amid hardship.