As the summer simmers on, indie pop duo Meadowlark gifts us with a cool, serene soundscape in their latest single, Borrowed. The UK-based team, composed of Daniel Broadley and Kate McGill, have proven themselves masters of creating exquisite sonic experiences, but with Borrowed, they’ve taken it to a new level.

This title track from their 2023 album offers a musical journey that will leave you contemplating the ephemeral nature of life, and yet, strangely uplifted.

Borrowed commences with McGill’s lush vocals, weaving effortlessly around Broadley’s delicate piano chords. This is Meadowlark’s forte – a beguiling blend of pop, folk, and electronic elements.

With Borrowed, the duo uses this fusion to explore the feelings of melancholy and loss, only to offer up an uplifting counterpoint as the song progresses.

The lyrics delve into the human struggle of clinging to things beyond our control, inevitably leading to a profound sense of sorrow. The duo asserts, “Holding on is all I’ve ever known / So I have lived my life in sorrow / So if it comes just for it to go / It was never mine, it was borrowed.” The refrain reminds us that everything we possess in this life, whether material or emotional, is only temporarily ours. It’s a stark reminder to live in the present and treasure what we have while we have it.

Despite its melancholy overtones, the instrumentals of Borrowed crescendo into a symphony of layered accompaniments, that pivot the tone of the track from sorrowful to hopeful. This shift provides a striking aural experience, and an interesting juxtaposition to the song’s introspective message.

The lyrical content also brightens, as McGill sings of letting go of control, hinting at a sense of liberation that comes from acceptance of life’s transitory nature.

Meadowlark’s Borrowed is contemplative meditation set to music. It encourages listeners to detach from material attachments and external validations, and instead, focus on the timeless essence of true love.

Don’t sleep on this one. Let Meadowlark’s Borrowed guide you on a journey of introspection and emotional release this summer.