The song 'Truth Over Lies' by Michellar, seems to be a truth that needed to be told, a song created due to the urgency of the kind that does not await the right time. It is then a protest anthem with the voice of Frankie El leading the charge it is a protest anthem that is informed by frustrations and disappointments and the silent heartbreak of a political landscape being disastrously divided. However, rather than allowing that weight to be put down, the song transforms it into a force - a push to rise and not to surrender.
The song was created on a songwriting retreat organised in Idyllwild, California, where Michelle Bond, Michael Levine, and Matthias Schmidt became so unsettled as a group that the only solution seemed to be expressing the concerted disturbance in a song. What is surprising about the track is that it was created in haste: the lyrics were created, the song was composed within three hours, like the passions behind it could not be contained any longer. Although the project crossed continents - the initial records were made in California, Frankie El was singing in South Africa and the end was mixed in Hollywood - its initial polish remained that raw.
In the musical aspect, it is influenced by the hints of U2 and Coldplay. The guitar instruments introduce the song slowly as a breathing breath and layers of harmony make the song appear to have a space around the voice of Frankie. There is power and weakness in his delivery, how someone decides to speak when it would be more comfortable to remain silent.
The message is lifted and not overwhelming by the instrumentation. The intentional and constant rise of drums remains truthful, united, and urgent, without descending into theatrics. All is leading to an emotion and not a show.
The appeal of "Truth Over Lies" is that it does not believe in the inevitability of things. It does not ignore the gravity of the moment but still leads to an action and interrelationship. It is a lesson that though single voices may be weak, they are even more significant when they combine and this song helps to do it.
