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‘Time Out Of Mind’ by Al Shaliker is an Alt-Folk Track that is Sees Clearly Through a Haze with Regret

Alternative Folk Reviews Singer-Songwriter

·October 12, 2024·2 min read

‘Time Out Of Mind’ by Al Shaliker is an Alt-Folk Track that is Sees Clearly Through a Haze with Regret

‘Time Out Of Mind‘ by Al Shalliker is a alt-folk track about those moments of clarity after a haze when one realises that time has passed by without them realising. It’s led by a bright guitar and harmonica, harkening to a sound and a storytelling mode that’s Bob Dylan-esque.

The lyrics reflect on the narrator’s past, realising that a lot of what they’ve been through has stolen time away from them. Age has crept up on them, leaving them to wonder why they’ve “…wasted all this time…”. The song feels resonant and relatable in a lot of ways.

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‘Time Out Of Mind’: Remorse & Regret

‘Time Out Of Mind’ is a song with lines that skirt around pertinent questions, instead reflecting on where the singer finds themselves. The narrator sees “…moonbeams..” in their hair, and feels “…six strings beating…” in their head. Its almost as though these lines reflect on how the singer’s single-minded pursuit of something kept them from thinking and experiencing much else for a long time.

“…Fifteen years, wishing I’d been somewhere else instead…”.

Now the narrator’s body is ailing, there are “…toxins twisting up…” their blood. There are pointed moments on the track where where the narrator seems to feel like so much time has slipped away, and regrets allowing it to pass them by so quickly.

“…Why have I wasted all this time, my love?

Yeah, time out of mind…”.

There is a sense of regret in ‘Time Out Of Mind’ that feels wistful, but moving towards a dawning sense of acceptance. The line “…I got romance ringing out my skull…”, sounds particularly pertinent, heavy with a lingering sense of remorse. It has a sense that love, like time, has slipped away from the singer.

All of this was in pursuit of something that seemed like all they wanted.

“…Fiftenn years and all these dreams have tajen their toll…”.

Now, the narrator of ‘Time Out Of Mind’ is only left with questions that are “…too hard to touch…”.

Conclusion

‘Time Out Of Mind’ by Al Shalliker is a song that reflects on regret and the road not taken. It highlights a sense of wistful remorse, underlined by the lines that feel reach with imagery and story.

The Artist

Al Shalliker is an alt-folk singer-songwriter from Plymouth, England. As the lead songwriter for the band Watershed, his songcraft holds a sense of diversity that makes the band’s songs sound relatively distinct within reggae & soul. This before it takes on a folk-rock style later on.