La Palma's "Ohio" Is a Reassuring Song of Found-Sounds Amid Disconnection

La Palma released their latest single - which we’ve been given early as a pick-me-up - as a reminder to stay connected during this time of immense distancing. The title in inspired by vocalist Tim Gibbon’s family and the separation between his home in Philadelphia and his family’s home in Ohio. The song opens with a mournful-yet-hopeful “I hope I see you tomorrow,” even though the concept of tomorrow seems to be idealized for pretty much everybody right now.

The creation of this track was done in correspondence-style because Tim lives in Philly and La Palma’s other half, Chris Walker, lives in San Francisco. Truly every aspect of this song reflects our current state of isolation. Lots of artists are forced to create remotely or digitally right now, and La Palma is an ongoing example of how this method can work.

The sleepy, atmospheric track is filed with kaleidoscopic relevance within the lyrics, instrumentation, and use of found sounds. If you listen closely, you can hear a fog horn blowing across San Francisco announcing the start of the city’s shelter, birds chirping and Tim’s daughter playing in his South Philly yard, and choruses of the Italian national anthem echoing over balconies during the start of their quarantine last month. All of these sounds are skillfully embedded within melodic acoustic guitar riffs, ethereal percussion, and whispery vocals. The refrain loops through lines of “I know we’ll be okay,” and the song takes on a hopeful tone despite the fact that, sonically, it’s not overtly bright. The duality within the music and lyrics encompasses a global frame of mind right now - deep and dark on the surface, but forcefully optimistic on the inside. I want to believe La Palma when they say we’ll be okay. Deep down, I think they’re right.

You can stream “Ohio” below, and their forthcoming EP is due for release later this year.