Photo by Taylor Czerwinski
Taste Test: Admiral Radio conjures up haunting real-life tale on ‘Tragedia’
The folk duo draws upon a dark real-life story.
Welcome to Taste Test, a song/video review series of SubmitHub-only gemstones
Folk duo Admiral Radio stage a haunting epic with “Tragedia,” drawing upon Antonio Zambrana’s 1875 novel “Novela original de costumbres cubanas.” Musicians/vocalists Becca Smith and Coty Hoover present the song in stunningly poetic terms, leaning into the humanity of two enslaved people (Francisco and Camila) to exact the story. “Birds are singing above the trees / Oh, how nice that must be / The sparrow’s song is out of reach / And while they sing, they don’t sing for me,” the duo sings, braiding their voices together into a rustic tapestry. “Tragedia” is both timeless and timely, featuring an exquisite and irrefutably moving performance.
