MoonTree’s new single is an Untraditional Ode to Farewells

The newest release from New York bred ambient duo MoonTree, “Lullaby For Our Last Night,” is the anti-single: it lacks a catchy chorus, surprising bridge or album teasing theme. Instead, the haunting new track finds meaning in its formlessness, hitting a chord that though familiar, is truly singular. The song is saying goodbye, and though drifting, aimless and without structure, it still feels final.

MoonTree is composed of Ben Cuomo and Jaya Franceschini, two 18-year-olds attending Purchase College. They released their first song last year, followed by an EP, For The Time We Have Left, of eight songs. The group shows an inclination toward odes in their song and album titles; each piece feels dedicated and specific to a time, place or person. Their tone has been honed in on since that album but their harmonic, off-kilter melodies and slow, paced-out rhythms have remained consistent through their discography. 

In “Lullaby For Our Last Night,” Franceschini is droning and repetitive, probing the listener over and over “Will you say goodbye?” Then, “Be on time,” she orders, repeated by her counterpart Ben Cuomo’s technologically distorted voice. With their voices layering; they are begging — eachother, themselves — “Be on time.” The song, an ode to goodbyes, to the act of leaving, comes down to not wasting time, to honoring last moments. Though slow, the song is steady, not one second of its four minutes are wasted.

MoonTree’s sound is self described with many hyphens: avant-garde, neo-jazz, ambient-soul. Their sound doesn’t lend itself to most existing music genres; it’s easier to describe visually: like a glow and a glower, like a dark room over a busy street. MoonTree’s artist bio says they are “creating a soundtrack to twenty-first century city life,” and its true, but this new song more references the specific loneliness of a night in New York City — not just the sadness but the allure and dreaminess that loneliness holds. “Lullaby For Our Last Night” is out on all streaming platforms, and you can find MoonTree on Instagram.