New Song of the Day #24: Tamino feat. Mitski “Sanctuary”
Tamino's best song yet, and another moving Mitski duet, following her tag-team with Muna's Katie Gavin.
New York City has been branded a sanctuary jurisdiction, or “sanctuary city,” in its refusal to cooperate with certain aspects of federal immigration policy. This is a topic of much discussion in the U.S. So this song’s title struck me immediately.
What constitutes “sanctuary”? A safe space? A crawl space? A human heart? A song?
Tamino-Amir Moharam Fouad is a Belgian-Egyptian singer-songwriter, indie rock nominally. Here he sings of being in “the burrows/ Of the western prairie,” and “in the sorrows/Of the new age.” His lower register and phrasing remind me of Jeff Buckley. Then Mitski sings of residing “in the ruins /Of the sanctuary/ Where a man praised a woman/ And she loved him holy,” using the tonal contrast to works the top of her register, soaring up on the word “ruins,” in triumph and tragedy. Then, in the third verse, their voices twine in a way that’s so gorgeous, it literally made me dizzy at my standing desk.
There’s a touch of music theater drama in this song, which usually puts me off. But it doesn’t here; quite the contrary. Maybe I need to rethink my prejudices.
Tamino has a new LP due in March, Every Dawn's a Mountain. I like the title. I caught his solo set last year opening for Mitski during her 4-night run at the Beacon Theater, accompanying himself on guitar and oud. I was impressed. So evidently was the rest of the audience, some of whom were startlingly young (there seemed to be a lot of chaperoning parents). It was one of those musical experiences that gives you hope. And yes, it felt like like a sanctuary.
