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On new offering ‘’Revise The Moments’’, singer songwriter Callum Pickard (AKA Tarragon) triumphantly transcends regret and guilt. Armed with a number of impressive features, including Bon Iver’s Matthew McCaughan, Pickard aims for the stratosphere. Mistakes are dissolved and slowly float into the ether hand in hand with an arrangement that exudes innocence and optimism.
Tarragon is the moniker of 26 year old producer, singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Callum Pickard. It is worth highlighting that Callum is not a newcomer. Putting out music as early as 2015 under the stage name Callum Pickard & the Third Look, Pickard’s journey in music has been one of constant refinement and steady growth. Tarragon, therefore, represents over 7 years of hard work and commitment. And this absolutely radiates from new single ‘’Revise The Moments’’. This is someone who is writing beyond their years, and displaying a sense of maturity and introspection only achieved through years of looking in the mirror.
A Deliveroo cyclist by day, there’s something hugely admirable about Pickard’s years-long dedication to his craft. In a time when impulsivity and instant gratification are rewarded and celebrated, it is fascinating to see an emerging artist with a vision unwilling to be deterred. For me, new project Tarragon demonstrates Pickard’s unwavering pursuit to deliver truly unique and meaningful songs to the world.
Whilst a lot of contemporary acts, through grand reverb-soaked arrangements, put two hands up between themselves and the listener, Pickard seems intent on breaking down that barrier on this single. The relatively dry sounding mix and hushed vocals forge a togetherness between himself and the listener. Pickard is inviting us in: openly vocalising feelings of regret in an attempt to achieve redemption, whilst gently nudging us to do the same.
‘’Discover all the mistakes you’ve made
Acknowledge all the writings on the wall’’
Pickard’s influences are worn on his sleeve, and I, for one, am for it. It’s Sufjan Stevens esque vocals with equal parts Kurt Vile at his most tender. All this is embellished with a stunning clarinet intro and delicate piano outro that you would expect to find on Andy Shauf’s ‘’The Bearer of Bad News’’. It’s much more than an imitation though. It is an artist using his influences as the tool to carve out a space for himself in the world of cinematic songwriting.
In his own words Pickard summarised the song, suggesting that – ‘’Mistakes are inevitable and success is never guaranteed. In fact, it feels like the obstacles are there to deliberately trip you up and when you don’t succeed it always feels like you are letting someone down. ‘Revise the Moments’ is really my musings on this conundrum.”
‘Revise the Moments’ is catharsis, and an attempt by singer songwriter Callum Pickard to build a bridge that himself and others can cross to a brighter future. For a 26-year-old from the Midlands, this is a hugely ambitious effort that has to be commended. In my eyes, more should be done to represent and celebrate self-funded projects like Tarragon. Debut album I’ve Just Seen A Scene due out June 17th via Luna Sky Recordings.