Gaby Moreno searches for and discovers an elusive freedom in letting go with her soaring new song “Solid Ground.” She will also be on the road next month with multiple dates in California, including a stop at The Troubadour in Los Angeles on October 14th. Earlier this year Moreno shared an endlessly enchanting cover of the timeless song “Luna de Xelajú” composed as a duet with Oscar Isaac. More recently she collaborated with Karina Daza on the buoyantly rollicking “No Pasa Na.”
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For over a decade Moreno’s remained an effortless wayfarer of genres — corraling blues, jazz, folk, rock, and pop into her earnestly revitalizing sound she calls “Spanglish folk soul.” Her new single “Solid Ground” finds her returning to that breezily rousing style of Americana she’s woven over the years. One made all the more electrifying by the instruments that clamor behind Moreno’s stirring wails. From the tangle of bluesy riffs that twang to the glimmer of keys and horns radiating in the background.
“‘Solid Ground’ is a song that talks about exhaustion, uncertainty, and longing for stability,” Moreno explained. “Feelings that are deeply ingrained within our human experience. Ultimately, I think it reminds us of our vulnerability and the complexities of our existence but it also grants us the peace of mind and freedom to pursue whatever we want from this life.”
Finding serenity amidst life’s persistent restlessness is a lofty goal — yet it’s also one that’s confoundingly within reach. “So tired / Of this flowing,” Moreno sings, imbuing the desperate words with defiantly vivacious life. “Never knowing where we’re going, where we’re bound.”
Her ecstatic cries and the song’s effervescent melody offer an ebullient balm for existential exhaustion, heartache, and every other human woe. Gracing you with the blessed weightlessness that comes with acknowledging and accepting life’s tendency toward instability and change.
“Solid Ground” also comes with a music video directed by Joseph Ros that vibrantly captures the song’s uplifting spirit. Two shots stand out in particular: the first looks up at her from below, creating the sublime illusion she’s up there floating against a flawlessly blue sky as she shreds away; while the second finds her in the same golden-star-spangled black suit from the previous scene, surrounded by white walls covered in multi-colored splotches.
The film also takes a cheerfully whimsical approach to life’s complications — at one point Moreno carefully steps around an excess of banana peels scattered on the carpet. As well as exquisite portraits of nonchalance, such as when she appears in front of a giant test card munching on her own brand of vegan food.
See Gabby Moreno at The Troubadour in Los Angeles on October 14th.
Visit Gaby Moreno on their website and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Words: Steven Ward
Watch the music video for “Solid Ground” the new single from Gaby Moreno below!