Toronto Singer-Songwriter Omar Jaber's first new single "Scars," since last month's track "Distilled," is a folk-country and soft rock amalgamation, and it doesn't change much about the deep and mellow melancholy found throughout. However, it still feels like a discovery of something profound in Omar's writing.
"Scars" blends folky reverberated guitar hooks, undulating riffs, and country backbone found in Omar's vocal timbre and rasp into an understated yet remarkable soft-rock folk-inspired song. The hooks elusively glide down the pallet of our suddenly disarmed minds as Omar Jaber's hymns chance on limited details relatable enough to feel real. His short rasp and the mid register lavish vocals quiver with quite enough passion for dismantling you internally.
“These words are my disguise, I use this paper, so I can taper off of things that get me high,” Omar Jaber sings in the opening line of "Scars." Still, his frustrated introspection exudes a revelatory texture amongst his expression on this: The song's chorus admits vulnerability in that he realizes the mistakes of his past, "I know who is to blame for the scars on your face, you asked me to chase you, but I wasn’t up for that race.”
He laments about the decisions he's made as the serenely plucked guitar hook elevates the scenery. As it tugs away seamlessly with a modest bass groove and a robust rhythm, it still holds as artfully natural as a great coffee blend; it savors the emotions being conveyed through its warming textures. When Omar confides, "My heart took a hit, one that I thought you could replace," it's a confiding moment so tame yet devastating that you may notice something in your own introspective though after this tune too.
Thanks for joining us to that about " Scars," and welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you tell us more about some of the critical messages woven into this song for you?
Thanks for such a lovely welcome! I can sure try; the overall theme of the song is having a relationship with someone, romantic or not, where their past (scars) and your own lead to problems. Addiction is also a dark little cloud hanging over the entire song. Everything comes from personal experience so the lyrics will probably fill in any blanks I may have missed here.
Why do you feel this was a story you needed to express?
Well, I’ve learned over time that it is much smarter for me to write down my thoughts about something/someone before picking up the phone and spitting out the first thing that comes to mind, ahah. When I wrote this song, I was dealing with a shitty relationship and this was how I was able to say my piece with a little more articulation. Also, I feel that codependent relationships and addiction issues are pretty commonplace in so many lives that maybe some people can relate to lyrics. Or not, but either way, it is special to me.
What or who has been your number one influencer since you first started in music, and how has this inspiration helped you develop your own character in songwriting and lyrically?
First off, my mom introduced me to Sam Cooke when I was in diapers and that changed my life. She always listened to cool music growing up so my little ears were pulling influence from everything from Ottis Redding to The Turtles. As I got older, one band that really is important to me musically and attitude-wise, Sublime. I think that band is badass and always loved musicians that kind of go genre-less (if that’s a word) With that being said, folk music as a whole really changed my life. Love it.
Thanks for this Omar, it was a pleasure featuring you here! What are your next steps artistically? Can we expect another speedy release for next month?
The pleasure is mine! You can absolutely expect a speedy release, I can’t tell you a date but I can tell you that the next song is called Wedding Season. Following that, everyone can expect an EP release in the fall.
Do you have any advice for fellow artists and/or musicians to help stay inspired and passionate throughout these tough times the world is going through?
My advice is to absolutely not let the current state of the world discourage you. It’s uncertain times for everyone and the world could use a little more music these days so use the downtime to create something good. Also, write what you mean – make music for you, everything else comes second. Don’t lose your voice in the crowd.
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