In a sense, you don’t hear “Parabellum” by Maria Deirisarri. It says everything by saying very little, and that’s what makes it effective. There’s nothing screaming to be listened to. In fact, it whispers directly in your ear to get you to sit up and listen. It starts with a few seconds of studio chatter that suggest an immediacy about what you are about to hear, and the intimacy of what Maria has to say about something that clearly matters to her. “Parabellum” was written the night before it was recorded and performed live in one take. It makes all the difference in the world to the purity of the emotions expressed within it. There’s no overdubs, no studio magic to make it any shinier. And you don’t want it to be. It’s raw and it’s real.
Maria’s vocal performance is low key, but intense. There’s a calm after the storm to her voice. She’s past the weeping, but her heart is still hurting. Maria knows better than to let the tears take over. The title is interesting. “Parabellum” is Latin for “if you want peace, prepare for war”. You get a sense of the quiet force behind that title. It’s in the minimalist production. Maria’s vocals ride over four instruments, with no clutter or distractions. Corey Kilgannon’s accompaniment is there without being obtrusive. Maria owns this song and has left room in the arrangement to make that fact abundantly clear.
What Maria Deirisarri does so effectively clear”Parabellum” is nail that odd combination of poignancy and steel in the voice of someone who knows they are better off without the person they love, and who knows they can make it through, come what may. It’s not showy, but it’s deadly. The maturity in Maria’s voice when she sings these words tells you she’s not going to take this lying down. This is the kind of breakup song that makes you feel like you’ve been given the courage to get up and face a new day. Maria Deirisarri is the kind of woman who owns the song she sings.
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