Bigelow’s “Hail to the Sun!”: A Radiant Indie Anthem for the Quietly Hopeful

"Hail to the Sun!" is a bright new chapter in the life of Lauren Cooke, a Boston artist who makes music under the moniker Bigelow. While the majority of artists would seek loudness to communicate hope, Cooke instead follows the path of the subtle uplift, which is of the kind that increases gradually, just like the morning light coming through the window. The song is very much like an exhale after holding on to too much for too long, a fact that is often forgotten, but here it is, plainly shown, that the power to be strong does not have to be of the roaring kind; it can be genuine.

"Hail to the Sun!" is a mixture of Bigelow’s dreamy pop style with the indie genre. The song unfolds very slowly, just like a real sunrise, with the help of soft guitar sounds, bass vocals, and very gentle rhythmic pulses. There is a certain painterly aspect in Cooke's work that does not surprise, as she comes from a creative background and, thus, each layer is thought through and none of them is overcrowding the emotional space. The thing is, she doesn't actually make pieces with sounds but rather constructs the space for the listener to have their own feelings.

The song is a very close and truthful look into the idea of how even a very brief hope can change a whole day. Cooke writes with a brain that is neurodivergent in a way that is quite different, hence her lyrics depict the transformation of vulnerability into a quiet form of power. On the strength of the Somerville band backing her, with the rich vocal harmonies and the well-balanced instrumental parts, Bigelow has been able to do something very difficult to achieve: a soft song that has its own heaviness.

"Hail to the Sun!" is a love letter to perseverance, made with gentleness and a lot of thought. If you happen to be one of those people who are currently going through their dark times and still looking for the light, then Bigelow would be the one to carry your burden with music. The band serves as a balm to the sufferer and a call to arms at the same time, a reminder that many unheard of hopes are the ones to become the strongest over time.