Song Review: “Back to You” by Charlotte Sands
by Brittany Davis
Charlotte Sands welcomes us with a new single Back to You from her upcoming album Satellite dropping on March 6th. Sands gives the mid 2000s alternative pop rock feels once again with this song paints us a picture of a relationship over time. This can be taken as the ping pong back and forth with someone feeling like you can’t let them go, but then you do, and you come back again because why not? You already know what you’re in for because it’s easy to fall into the pattern over and over again. This person can give you butterflies, but that feeling should be taken as a warning sign trust yourself after what you’ve been through.
The song starts out with a soft acoustic guitar opening followed by rhythmic drums giving us a slow burn to the chorus kicking in with the electric guitar, bass, and drums controlling the song; while Sands soft vocals guide us through this poetic journey of the relationship while building to the intoxicating power ballad chorus. The electric guitar lines cut deep with their piercing sharpness, the basslines are softly hidden away, the acoustic guitar is crispy and sharp guiding the song, while the drums feel so loud and aggressive from the frustration of this relationship and the internal battle with yourself. A line in Back to You that really stands out is “I wish that I was someone I could lean on. I'm cheating myself on my self respect. It's treason.” It really hits the core of the soul-crushing realization that you have lost yourself because of the pattern. Sands seems to feel like she let herself down. You know yourself best at the end of the day you normally wouldn’t tolerate the behavior, but you keep making excuses for it. Sometimes love can be so intoxicating it consumes you until you barely recognize yourself until you’re out of the loop. Love can be such a complex and conflicting emotion often with the highs and lows of having self doubt, feeling extremely sad because of what you’ve tolerated, and holding out for the hope things will be different. Sands is struggling to find herself again hiding away since this pattern has occurred in her life again with lyrics “I must look so stupid left my intuition crying in the corner of my room.” Sometimes the self reflective heartache is meant to be taken as a lesson for you to desire being the person you want and need for yourself. Sands continuously examples emotional vulnerability in a way that many can relate with showing even the difficult parts to say outloud. The musical aspect feels so nostalgic especially with the music video showing Sands singing in the rain with a blue filter film almost identical to her iconic hair color. You can see the emotion in her facial expressions and body language holding herself for comfort, lying on the ground singing and crying, and dead stares into the camera like she’s given all she has until there’s not much left grappling with the guilt she has for herself. Back To You has an underline feeling it could be the apology you never got, but learning to forgive yourself for being hung up on the what if’s.
For fans of: Daisy Grenade, Taylor Acorn, Michelle Branch, LOLO, Hot Milk, and Stand Atlantic.
