Saw Wardlaw’s “I Try To Look Like You” unfolds like he’s mapping out the progress of the experience of depression and social anxiety. From the seductive power of the messages swirling inside your head to self-isolation to shield yourself from the influence of insipid conversations. To the hope of having connected with someone and the frustration of not quite being able to be as consistent as you’d like while your brain is wreaking havoc on your ability to function in ways that would make it so much easier to get things done or even be happy. The latter, something so simple, yet so seemingly out of reach if not impossible when you’re in the throes of mental illness. The song begins simply and progresses into great volume giving the impression of complexity when really it’s just more electric and louder. Which is a perfect expression of and a metaphor for the way the mind amplifies emotions to the point where the stimulation is the same but the reception and processing are what causes the problems. That is what it feels like. It feels gentle at first and it creeps up on you until it is a roaring gulf of feeling that is difficult to unravel or swim out of. That Wardlaw is able to externalize this cycle into a song without really overthinking it with such emotional precision is remarkable and while it has all the hallmarks of a solid pop song it is one with depth of content. Watch the lyric video on YouTube.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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