Today, Michael C. Duguay dropped the second single called “Twenty-Five to Life”.
The track is taken from his forthcoming album The Winter of Our Discotheque which comes out on September 25, 2020 via So Sorry Records.
Epic 6 minute track that is raw, emotional and shines a light to the struggles.
About the song:
“Twenty-Five to Life” tells the true story of Michael’s experience meeting and befriending a recently paroled convict when they shared a room at a Salvation Army shelter in 2016, and how, despite living an elaborately constructed lie that he had maneuvered to receive early parole on a life sentence, that friend passed on wisdom and advice that inevitably contributed to Michael’s recovery from addiction and homelessness.
Keeping with his potent and verbose literary writing style, Michael draws heavily on Christian imagery and explicit references to scripture (as well as mid-90’s radio rock) to tell a story of contrition, repentance, and absolution which scrutinizes both perception and practice of faith and devotion, while denunciating the prison industrial complex and society’s obsession with crime and punishment. “Twenty-Five to Life” renews Michael’s ongoing inquiry into the subtle sublimity of the banal, the imaginations of the destitute, and the inexplicable twists that life takes.
Sonically, “Twenty-Five to Life” remains rooted in Michael’s unique version of cosmic Americana, enchantingly combining elements of alt-country, dream-pop, and post-rock. Describing his production of “Twenty-Five to Life”, Michael states: “I drew mainly on two points of reference. First, when I was living in the Salvation Army, I shared a common love of mid-90’s radio rock with many of the other residents and that we played together in the shelter’s chapel space. That was the first time I had communed with music in years, and it was a sacred experience. With this recording, I wanted to emulate some of the production style of that era. Secondly unable to afford any new music for several years, the only album I had to listen to on my unserviceable iPhone was U2’s ‘Songs of Innocence’, the album that they had guerilla launched onto every iPhone in the world. As I returned to health, it kept me going for a year and a half with no other access to music. I wanted to pay tribute to that experience through my production here, as well, by trying to mimic the sound of the Edge’s guitar playing as I had heard it through the poor-quality speakers on that device. Finally, I included a brass arrangement at the end to reference the sound of a Salvation Army band. While staying at the shelter, I was required to attend their church services, and their brass band was the first live band I heard in years, which was, of course, meaningful. I had to pay tribute.’
Twenty-Five to Life gets:
/10.
Michael C. Duguay – Twenty-Five to Life [Listen]
