Nostalgia, nonsense and sticking together: A review of Esme Emerson’s latest single
On November 13th, British-Chinese sibling duo Esme Emerson released their latest single Together, a testament to the necessity of letting someone into your space and the catharsis that comes with allowing that someone to really get to know you.
“The years pass and nothing changes,” said Esme, in their interview with Dork magazine, “these habits and follies still remain, so why not just be ‘down together’?”.
The timing of the single couldn’t be more apt - there’s a lot to be down about in the world right now. It’s clear that all we have, truly, is each other.
The feelings of isolation and defeat felt after a day of doom scrolling through headlines is not helping - did it ever? Face to face human connection, talking it out with, being heard by, and simply being “down together” with those who care most is how we get through difficult moments.
Esme’s opening lines, “I wish I could learn to love again / Make the most of myself and all my friends” are self aware: they’re treading water, stuck on something that’s past knowing they need to move forward and lean into their potential but struggle to find momentum.
The chorus is an invitation: “I’ve been down / You’ve been down / Let’s be down together”. As the old adage says, misery loves company. The listener is invited to be “down together” with the speaker alleviating that universal feeling of being alone and being met instead with understanding, a touch that is uniquely human.
After this first iteration of the chorus, the drums and a strong bassline come in, giving the song a mellow yet incredibly catchy rhythm. You can almost see an audience swaying along as Esme asks, “Maybe it's all wrong / Are these the things that we atone?” expressing uncertainty on how to make amends for past mistakes.
The bridge of the song comes in two parts, the first “I hope I'll do better this time / I don't wanna be left behind” and the second “I hope I'll do better this time / I'm so tired of my own pride”. Something’s been learned but something’s also been lost. Mistakes, even small ones, chip away at our confidence - while we know we should move along the path ahead armed with new knowledge, the fear or embarrassment of what we’ve done is never far behind. If we don’t move, it doesn’t follow. Others walk past us and we are “left behind” because we can’t seem to get past our pride.
The chorus brings Together to a close, the bassline working overtime for our benefit, and the lyric “Let’s be down together” leaves listeners with a sense of solidarity and acceptance. The message of the song is a simple one: I know how you feel.
Together will be part of Esme’s upcoming EP Applesauce, the name of which took inspiration from the two apple trees in their front yard growing up.
Over the years, the apples would ripen, fall, and roll into the ditch to rot, but this year, “our mum picked them. There were too many to eat, so she made applesauce” the duo told Dork.
The word ‘applesauce’ became a metaphor for ‘nonsense’ in the 1920s but for Esme, the title is nostalgic for home, a cornerstone in their work as making music “feels like looking back on our lives together.” Applesauce is out March 7th, 2025 and in the meantime, Together continues to rack up listens in the tens of thousands on Spotify - How could it not?
We definitely can’t wait to see them live, so keep an eye out for our coverage of their London show here on VoiceNoted. In the meantime, you can enjoy the rest of their music on Spotify: