Noah Floersch’s newest album, Francis Aquarius, released on Oct. 3, has been quickly followed by the new single, “The Lady on the Moon,” leaning more into the folk side of his blended folk-rock sound than the previous album. In contrast to “Francis Aquarius,” the mostly lone piano adds a new layer of depth that Floersch builds up on as it trails behind the softer vocals.

The song gives clear imagery, starting off with a “lady living on the moon” staring down at the world below her, longing for a sense of community. Her only sight of civilization is obscured by the fact that she only rises when the moon does. A repeated phrase throughout the song, “I hope she can see us in that light some time,” is the narrator giving a glimmer of hope to the listeners, forshadowing of her later involvement.

The tone and beat of the song also gives the listener an auditory understanding of the story as it wavers with the hesitation of the characters. Floersch weaves in minor notes and grace notes along the development of the building beat alongside the interlaced drums. 

Bringing the listeners down to Earth, the second verse details a singer sitting on a stage reaching out to a crowd and the drums starting to build up along with the key. The metrical lyrics carefully describe how, despite physically interacting with a cooperative community, all he sees are shadows because the audience is backlit from the stage lights. “Only silhouettes in limbo,” describes the uncertainty of the audience as the narrator continues to illustrate a hope to “see us in that light some time,” in a more visually literal sense. 

The bridge introduces another repeating idea of “I don’t know a single soul who doesn’t want to find themselves a home in somebody else” to connect the two characters and their aching for a close connection. In a similar fashion, the drums, bass, harmonies, and array of melodizing instruments continue to build as the described desire is expanded.

Floersch continues to stay in the higher key as the imagery builds on the hope and the “happily ever after” of “The Lady on the Moon” and the singer meeting in a sunny and radiant environment. The song’s tempo begins to die down as a “slice of life” scene is cut with the lady walking downstairs to the singer singing the previously mentioned topic of “I don’t know a single soul who doesn’t want to find themselves a home,” placing the narrator into the story as the singer. 

Although the phrasing in the interlude is a bit abrupt, Floersch still manages to bind everything with the melodies and consistent rhythm of the percussion. This new release follows a beautiful story along a river of hope, tying the “lady on the moon” to a realistic persona, which paints how common the desire for a close bond to others really is. Despite people feeling alone in their troubles and connections, humans all have the common denominator of emotions.