
Poets of the Fall – The Sweet Escape single
Poets of the Fall knows how to keep us on our toes, and so with the release of The Sweet Escape single and video, they decided it would be cool to premiere it on YouTube at 8:00 am with a countdown precisely when most of us are already at work or in a different time zone. This did not matter, however, because people were at the rendez-vous and so was I… the chat was wild with anticipation. I set my Skype to “Do not disturb” at work and held my breath for the time of a sweet video.
Of all the songs from the Ultraviolet album, The Sweet Escape is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing to me. There are not many songs in the band’s repertoire that actually compare to this song, and believe you me, I love their repertoire more than a lot. From the start, I found it emotionally charged and filled with an undefinable longing. As always, Marko Saaresto does not disappoint and he delivers an extraordinary performance.
The single
The single version brings the extra that I have been wishing for… the extra that they’ve played at concerts, especially when Jaska Mäkinen plays those haunting guitar riffs I love so much. It made me pay even more attention to the orchestration which is perfect. The bass lines by Jani Snellman are discreet but powerful because they underline the sense of loneliness and loss I feel through the lyrics; the slow rhythm skilfully brought on by Jari Salminen, and his drums crescendo that comes as reinforcement to the bass and keyboards are just brilliant… Finally, the keyboard by Markus Kaarlonen are one of the best he’s written. They emphasize everything I have been saying. I don’t know how to describe it other than by saying listen… truly listen with every fiber of your being.
The video
Beautiful photography as always by Miika Hakala! I did not see Helsinki that way when I was there… but I don’t wander in the streets at night singing my heart out either. Only Marko can do that! The colours are soft and welcoming, like a cover that hides everything, even feelings… until passers-by now and then notice them.
A few minutes into the video, I started feeling the longing I talked about earlier… and it grew for every second that passed. Many theories have already popped up here and there, but I tried not to read them all not to be too much influenced… but to answer the few I read I will only say this: Marko is a great actor because it is not easy to show longing on one’s face… but he nailed it. This kind of storytelling is my cup of tea! A storytelling driven by the abstract, what can not be seen unless you are tuned to it.
I thought for a moment that Marko was a ghost, looking for the one he will never get to meet and then never be able to give the intended present to… he looks at his invisible watch. No watch on his wrist! (Thanks Susan, I saw it now). By the way, time does not exist for ghosts, unless you don’t know you are one, or? It is said that time does not exist, period, but that is another debate.
But then, if Marko is a ghost, why does Jani see him? Jari? and Olli even? Captain and Jaska don’t look at him though… and through all this, as I said, Marko does not make eye contact, why? Is he lost in his longing? So lost that he does not even see others, and wanders within his loneliness and his somewhat neverending search for his “fierce friend“. One more thing that could undo the ghost theory is that twice he is on the phone. The first time, he is not talking, just listening to some message maybe… the second time, it looks like he is talking. So, the ghost theory is down the drain so to speak. For whom is this present he is holding in his hands? Sometimes he is holding his phone and sometimes the present…
It sounds sad, doesn’t it? But then, if you look closely, you’ll see the spark in Marko‘s eyes and the faint smile lighting up his face for a split second… I see hope and fondness, maybe love, even.
Absolutely stunning in its simplicity, I love it.
How will Partir avec Moi conclude this longing? Will I get answers to my questions or will I have more questions? I guess we’ll know soon enough… Rendez-vous in a week, on Friday, May 17th.


5 Comments
Carry
Thank you for sharing your thoughts again! It really is a beautiful video. The blurry effect makes it somehow look unreal or like seeing everything through a mist of tears. I don’t think Marko is a ghost but maybe his loved one is? Is she gone? Or did he never meet her and she’s just a fantasy, someone he’s dreaming of and longing to finally meet in real life? As I wrote you before, to me the whole album sounds as if someone very important is missing and now the video shows it, too. And yeah, there’s a barely visible smile on his face when he sings “Cos you’re fearless in your love, devoted to compassion…” (at 3:33) and to me it looks as if he’s remembering his loved one and their sweet character. It’s heartbreaking.
Clairepeek
Hello Carry!
Glad to see you back here… I like the smile and I find it brings hope to the prospect of the story (or maybe it is wishful thinking, I don’t know) but as in every song from Poets of the Fall, I always try to find the glimpse of hope I am almost sure they put in them. I might be a hopeless optimist. The whole video is heartbreaking to me because, I do agree, even if he is not a ghost, he does behave like one… which shows an excruciating loneliness. Then there is the smile and it mends, if not totally, at least a little the heart-ache one might have felt while watching/listening.
I believe, however, that The Sweet Escape has, like the video, many layers that are tricky to notice… I love it and I cannot wait for the French version tomorrow! I hope you’ll manage to be at the YT premiere 🙂
Carry
Hi Claire,
thank you for your reply. 🙂 I think I remember Marko saying in an interview that they always try to put someting positive into their songs, so I guess it isn’t just your optimism. 🙂 This song is so special to me ’cause I’m a dreamer myself and always try to escape reality at night. It’s like they put my feelings and thoughts into a song and it’s just the perfect melody. The perfect soundtrack to the stories I write at night. <3 And now I'm so curious to hear the French version. Another dream come true because I love the language so much and I also love French pop music. But I was really surprised when I saw that there will be a video for the French version, too. I thought it would only be the song and now I wonder if it will be the exact same video like the English version or maybe… it will have another ending??? And the lyric? Will it tell another version of the story? I'm so exited! 😀
Anatxu
The Sweet Escape me toca el alma y me hidrata la emoción. Escaparse dulcemente es algo que suena deseablemente, deseable. Quien se resistirá a una dulce huida?
Maravilloso tema sublimemente interpretado. Gracias Poets of the Fall por existir
Hace unos años solicité al Universo que Poets of the Fall actuará en España y dentro de unas semana tendré el placer de escucharles. Tanta emoción me causó la noticia que al comprar las entradas, compre para el concierto de Barcelona y de Madrid para por si acaso… Jajaja… Solo puedo asistir a uno pero guardaré las entradas de recuerdo
Mi sueño está camino de hacerse realidad y mi día a día es con sonrisa sea cual sea el problema diario que me surga porque estoy muy feliz de este acontecimiento. Los sueños se pueden hacer realidad cuando deseas algo mucho, mucho, mucho con el corazón y el alma… Mágico destino que a dosis nítidas se deja contemplar
Clairepeek
Hello Anatxu,
Please next time write in English, google translate does not do justice to your comment. But I understood that you will see the band in Spain, so I want to wish you a beautiful experience and savour every second. Take care…