Dharawal Country/Bondi duo M & J are serving up some smooth acoustic soul for your Thursday. Their latest track “Not a Love Song” immediately caught my attention with its laid-back groove and compelling vocals. It’s got such an incredible vibe that’s intimate and inviting, yet irresistibly cool. While I instantly warmed to this single’s sound, the more I listened, the more I tapped into the lyrics that explore the bittersweet yearning of unrequited love.
“This song is about sometimes no matter what you do, someone likes you, and … sometimes, no matter what you do, the person doesn’t like you,” M & J explained.
As it reflects a real experience that one half of M & J endured, the lyrics of “Not a Love Song” resonate with truth and wisdom.
“It ended up being a tale about all my dreams and hopes for the relationship and what I wanted to write about,” he explained. “As those elements didn’t materialise in the relationship, it meant the song I ended up writing was not a love song.”
I appreciate that “Not a Love Song” focuses on acceptance rather than emotional manipulation. While there’s a degree of heartache, the guys from M & J aren’t trying to win the object of their affection over or insist they’re meant to be. Instead they show respect for the object of their affection’s autonomy and direct their energy into their art.
There’s a real case to be made that the world has too many love songs, but not nearly enough songs like this. You can find “Not a Love Song” and other great new Aussie soul tracks on my playlist, “Sounds of Oz Loves Soul.”
Image used with permission from M & J