Get Into Ukulele with LUKA - The End of the World


LUKA – The End of the World



I can’t help but be biased towards LUKA’s new track; with the pessimistic title combined with romantic and sophisticated songwriting, it is similar in concept to one of my favourite albums, Hozier’s Wasteland Baby.

My only familiarity with ukulele is my brief stint on it at the age of thirteen, Jack Johnson, and Billie Eilish’s 8. Nevertheless, I was immediately able to tell that Luka is a good uke player, and, for such a cheerful sounding instrument, the whole song came out impressively dark.

I am a sucker for dark music and the combination of darkness and light in art. Darkness in music should be like a spice; you want to add just enough that it brings out the best parts of the song, but not so much that it overpowers it. Luka has got this balance perfectly. The chord progression is smart and vintage, jazz chords adding a little edge to the uke. The melody is reminiscent of a bygone age of songwriting; there is something classy and delicate about it and the bridge provides just enough of a transition to ramp up the emotion without clashing with the first part. The End of the World is simplicity at it’s finest, deceptive and perfectly formed.

One of the most beautiful and poignant things about this song is the harmony. It is cleverly done, a minimal arrangement with tasteful restraint. The backing guitars and backing vocals act first like ghosts of the uke and the melody, and the effect is haunting. Then they veer off into their own realms, chiming in time with the main parts; the combination is impeccable and LUKA’s vocals suit the whole thing with an ethereal beauty at odds with the song's title, or maybe the two enhance each other.

In these somewhat gloomy times, I would definitely recommend listening to this track. You can also check LUKA out on Instagram @lukalala for more of her incredible work.

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