Turn Up the Sound - Bittersweet and Beautiful

Singer-songwriter Mike Cavanaugh

I recently received a note through Facebook from an indie singer-songwriter named Mike Cavanaugh who was promoting his music. The email piqued my curiosity mostly because it referenced my appreciation for alt-country/rock musician Ryan Adams, and so I decided to listen to a few tracks from Mike's Facebook page.

What I discovered were beautifully sweet and lonely rhythms, mostly piano and acoustic guitar driven, and whispery melancholy vocals that are indeed reminiscent of the quieter moments on a Ryan Adams album. I listened to several songs on Facebook and on ReverbNation, but found myself repeatedly returning to one particular track.

I had just finished reading two internet news articles about Eric James Borges, a 19 year-old Californian who is the most recent victim in a string of horrible and unnecessary gay teen suicides. As I read about EricJames (as he liked to be called), I was left feeling angry and distraught, and particularly vulnerable to a beautifully sad song like Mike Cavanaugh's Hold On. Make no mistake though, this bittersweet and haunting piano ballad stands tall on its own merits.

It's a soft, simple, and honest song that I've listened to about ten times this afternoon. I'm including a YouTube version below, so give it a listen, share it if you like it, and maybe pop over to iTunes to buy a copy for yourself. I did.