There’s a particular kind of silence that lingers longer than words ever could, and on ‘Things We Don’t Talk About’, Leeann Skoda leans into that silence with remarkable sensitivity. This is a song that gently traces the outlines of what’s been avoided, letting the emotional weight settle naturally.
Built around a sparse, late-night arrangement, the track feels almost suspended in time. Acoustic textures drift softly beneath the surface, while the subtle presence of pedal steel adds a sense of distance. There’s a warmth to the instrumentation, but it’s tempered by a quiet melancholy that never fully lifts.
Skoda’s vocal performance is central to the song’s impact. There’s a softness in her delivery that feels intentional, as though she’s choosing each word carefully, aware of its significance. She allows the emotion to exist in its most understated form, and that restraint gives the track its intimacy as it plays.
The collaboration with Ryan O’Reilly adds another layer of depth. Their voices intertwine in a way that feels natural, as if the story belongs equally to both of them. There’s a sense of shared understanding in the way they move through the song, reflecting the universality of its themes.
What makes ‘Things We Don’t Talk About’ so affecting is its focus on what’s inherited rather than what’s explicitly experienced. The song touches on the quiet ways emotions are passed down, and the unspoken patterns that shape relationships over time. It’s a subtle exploration, but one that resonates deeply.
In a musical landscape that often prioritises immediacy, Leeann Skoda and Ryan O’Reilly offer something slower and more reflective. And in doing so, ‘Things We Don’t Talk About’ reveals just how much can be said without raising a voice.