When I explored Falls previously, I honed in mostly on Omaha, their first full-length album, since that was most of what I’d heard up until that point.  After having explored their debut EP Into The Fire in-depth, however, I feel the need to discuss them again, specifically in the context of the title track of the EP.

In general, the EP is a much more stripped-down type of indie-folk than Omaha, but with “Into The Fire,” this is particularly effective, contributing to the tone of sorrow and regret that it portrays in its repeated mourning of, “I’m going to burn in the fires / for what I’ve done / can’t be undone.”  The song is kicked off by plucked notes on an acoustic guitar, and vocalist Melinda Kirwin fills out the majority of the song’s vocals.  The soft, almost empty-sounding quality to the first minute of the song powerfully portrays a feeling of defeat and hopelessness, as if the narrator has no strength left and knows nothing more can be done.

As a more identifiable beat kicks in and Simon Rudston-Brown’s vocals begin to harmonize, the song picks up sonically, but this middle, more upbeat section of the song is filled with a tone of desperation more than anything, particularly in its inception as the vocalists cry out, “I’m burning, begging / for someone to rescue me.”   The song is full of poignant lyrics like this, with possibly the most powerful piece of the song being the repetition of the lines, “I’m waiting for an answer that’s not coming / I’m running in a race that’s not worth running.”  As the song turns back to the soft quality of its beginning as it slowly fades out, the feeling of inevitable defeat powerfully returns, closing it off perfectly.

Of course, despite the discussion of hopelessness and sadness, “Into The Fire” remains a melodic, beautiful song; it certainly isn’t what I’d term a happy song by any means, but it won’t ruin a good mood either.  It’s a compelling and emotionally effective piece of music that will have you coming back for more.