The Oh Hellos are an indie folk-rock duo created by siblings Maggie and Tyler Heath in 2011. Their sound is a unique blend of lyrical storytelling, acoustic guitars and floating vocals. Their albums are often thematically inspired by mythology, religion or literary works, which makes them a perfect fit for students who are similarly inclined in any of these areas. One 2015 album particularly leans into its literary influences. “Dear Wormwood” takes its title and many themes from one of C.S. Lewis’ most famous works, “The Screwtape Letters.” Just as the book follows the back-and-forth letters between two demons who plan to foil unaware Christians, many of the songs within the album poignantly describe a relationship with evil, the singer’s struggle to break free and the final triumph that will come when an unnamed hero has overcome death. The duo hoped to give the album an orchestral feel, and several musical tracks sprinkled throughout the set emphasize this goal. “Prelude,” “In the Blue Hours of the Morning,” and the included “Danse Macabre” introduce tonal shifts and promote musical themes while allowing a relaxed feel to the album. The lyrics in the remaining songs are meant to be poetic, with meter and symbols that reflect this end. The album also has an overarching story that can be interpreted in multiple ways.
Several songs set up the character of the singer and their relationship with evil, or Wormwood. “Bitter Water” is a twangy, light song about enjoying the company of someone who tastes bitter. Being with them is dangerous, and the singer notes this even as she joyfully sings, “All the days of our delights are poison in my veins,” and that she knows “what is coming / You’ll bury me beneath the tree I climbed.” “There Beneath” follows these notes, showing the character beneath a willow tree as they watch the grand arrival of a king who is great, but whom they cannot reach. “Exeunt” shows the effect of this revelation, where the deceitful “rose is gone from my eyes” and the singer decides “I am leaving” the dangerous relationship despite the previously beloved’s threats of “raging and reaving.” “Caesar” returns to the willow tree and coming cavalcade, which this time, the speaker participates in. Beginning with a unique tone of melancholy that melts into intensity, the coming king is announced with “every horn” as electric guitar closes the final notes. However, the battle against pain is not complete. The next series of songs reflect on death and the king who overcomes it. In “This Will End,” the Heaths join their voices to harmonize about the pains of life, asking the coming death “what is all this waiting for?” “Pale White Horse” introduces the symbol of death, the fourth horseman from the Biblical narrative of the end of times. The singer fears the creature, and the sight of its luminescent skin freezes her, “fixed like a bayonet against my throat.” Returning to the coming king, “Where is Your Rider?” rises to meet the fear of death with triumph. The white horse of death will lose, and the singer tells the creature to bury her wherever it pleases because she will rise again. An unnamed hero has destroyed the dreaded cavalry, and thus, “Hades is fading / For he has cast down Leviathan, the tyrant, and the horse and rider.” There is a final victor, and it is not death. The famous “Soldier, Poet, King” track introduces this victor under three roles. He is found triumphant, as he “tears your city down” through the sword, words or kingship. “Dear Wormwood” is a personal victory over the evil one, where the singer finally announces that he understands his own and the demon’s identities, which gives the former strength to “name you my enemy.” The final song, “Thus Always to Tyrants,” sums up the victory over evil and death. The duo has been open to a wide range of interpretations from people of all beliefs, so these are just my personal thoughts on these songs.
I highly recommend listening to “Dear Wormwood” and coming up with your own interpretation. Their other albums are great as well, with personal favorite tracks including “On the Mountain Tall,” “Constellations” and “Second Child, Rest- less Child.” Their whimsical, Celtic-toned music is great for when you want to contemplate poetic lyrics or just dance to some fantasy-medieval coded soundtracks.