SYML’s ‘Carry No Thing’ – A hauntingly beautiful apocalyptic love song.

Seattle-based artist and producer SYML returns with Carry No Thing, a stirring preview of his forthcoming album Nobody Lives Here, set for release on April 4th. With his signature ethereal production and deeply evocative lyricism, SYML crafts a song that is both intimate and immense, exploring love in the face of chaos.

Described by SYML as an “apocalyptic love song,” Carry No Thing captures the idea of love as an unwavering force amid destruction. The track opens with a delicate, haunting melody that sets an eerie yet beautiful tone. SYML’s raw and intimate vocals feel like a whispered confession, pulling the listener into his world of vulnerability and reflection. The lyrics are poetic and deeply emotional, contemplating how love endures even as everything else crumbles. SYML comments on the track:

“The intangible force of love is what we take with us as we move through the chaos. There’s a strange beauty in some of the ways we imagine the world ending. I think it might be that it’s something we would all experience equally at the same time. Whether we run for the hills or submit, we only have the love for each other as the world burns around us.”

As the song progresses, its production becomes increasingly cinematic, layering atmospheric synths, reverb-soaked guitars, and subtle percussive elements that add to the sense of urgency. There’s a weight to the arrangement, mirroring the gravity of the song’s theme. Each element is carefully placed, creating a soundscape that feels both fragile and vast, as if balancing on the edge of collapse.

Nobody Lives Here marks his clearest and crispest writing to date. Written, recorded, and produced by him, it is fueled by the keen understanding that life is a contradiction, a fleeting moment. As he accepts the presence of loss, he still welcomes others into his space with melody, lyrics, a slide guitar, or a cello’s hum. For the new record, his music remains cinematic and visceral, taking the license to both gut and be gutted.

“If the dark inspires the good, that’s a good thing to be honest about. All of these characters inside of me are fascinated by the same thing, which is: Why are humans even here and what is this ever-expanding universe that we’re floating through?”

The song’s final moments swell into a breathtaking crescendo, reinforcing its message of love’s persistence. With Carry No Thing, SYML masterfully blends vulnerability with grandeur, delivering a track that lingers long after it ends. It’s a mesmerising and deeply moving addition to his growing body of work.

7/10