"Sábado" is La Palma's Interpretation of Where Dream Meets Reality
La Palma, photo by Tim Gibbon
La Palma, the transcontinental project from San Francisco’s Chris Walker and Washington D.C.’s Tim Gibbon, has released a series of ethereal singles throughout the course of quarantine. “Ohio” and “Infinite Bounce” from this spring and summer implemented various found sounds from Gibbon and Walker’s every day lives indoors, making for a direct yet gentle reflection of what this “new normal” means. But their latest release, “Sábado,” explores the symbolism within an unrelenting political climate and the seemingly never-ending question of how all of this is actually, really happening to us.
Pulling from the ageless story of Daniel in the lion’s den, which is mentioned directly in the lyrics, it touches on the persistent, overwhelming confusion and fear that this year seems to keep throwing at us, which parallels the mythic story. With signature whispery vocals, brightly understated acoustic guitars, and a transcendent synthetic background, “Sábado” subtly plays around with acts and timing. The first half of the song is quiet and persistent, but the second half is almost abrasive and off-kilter. It listens the same way this year has felt. Quarantine is like half-relief, half-intense fear. This track expertly illustrates the moment in between those two feelings and questions where we stand and what will come next. The only constant throughout this entire ordeal, as the song reiterates, are the people beside you. “Daniel, I need you by me / I can’t sleep without your energy / and we’ll both get lost deep in thought eternally.” This opening line evokes such a beautiful image. No matter how uncertain life is right now, if you have someone reliant beside you, then you can escape the fear of right now for a moment - or forever - just by being close. There’s a lot to unpack with this song, even though it stands at just over two minutes long.
You can watch an animated video for the track below, and stream “Sábado” here, or anywhere else you find music.