April 07, 2021 | Writer: Eric Reyes
A song for those moments where you disassociate and view yourself as a completely different, separate entity. For when you’re a bit too critical, looking back at the life you’ve lived to this point as defining the whole, indefinitely. RNLA and Clide really dig deep in this solemn, somber, sober look in the mirror, ‘Where Have I Gone (sic).’
The chorus makes up the bulk of the track, but it doesn’t feel repetitive. The vocal delivery is what keeps it above simple repetition. ‘A rose is a rose is a rose’ is used in literature to show the complexity in, and of, repetition; it emphasizes, or changes, the meaning of the phrase. Here, the eponymous line ‘where have I gone’ really drives itself home, and works itself into uncomfortable places.
That’s not to say the song is an absolute downer. More often than not, dwelling on the past can really trap us there. This song, however, looks at the past and compares it to the present, searching for an answer, rather than relegating itself to a foregone conclusion.
This simple, but soulful, track is sure to get under your skin and stay in your head. If you feel uncomfortable at first, like I did, that means that it’s speaking to you. On multiple listens, contractually in my case, I found it to be more of a ‘taking stock’ kind of song. You don’t really know who you are, or where you are, if you don’t look at yourself, and at the road you’re on.