The Messenger is back to work after winter break, and that means the tunes are back on! The Messenger Mixtape’s newest addition is psych rock “In The Light” by Led Zeppelin, submitted by yours truly, A&E Editor Gabe Santos.

The song is the longest on the mixtape thus far, stretching to just over 8 minutes. It is cut into very distinct segments and transitions between them well, allowing for it to remain interesting throughout its runtime.

Firstly, a dusty, almost desert-like introduction, with fuzzy ambiance and a high (what I assume to be) synth/horn bellowing in the lead. Frontman Robert Plant takes vocals and sings of a fear of the unknown, accompanied by a motivational tone. “If you feel like you can’t move on and your will is sinking low just believe and you can’t go wrong.” 

After a long introduction, the song swings into a deep, rumbling guitar, and hard drum-led section. The high pitched, dusty timbre and imperfect nature of Robert Plant’s voice perfectly matches all of the hard rock stylings the song employs, enforcing a more triumphant tone. Then, a rising guitar riff comes in to reinstate the motivational mood of the song, before then returning to the dusty wastes it began with.

I first discovered this song from its use in the Netflix show “Mindhunter”. In the scene it scores, lead character Holden Ford, an FBI agent, is about to walk into the hospital room of infamous serial killer Ed Kemper. The expansive and wandering nature of the instrumentation was a perfect pick, and I enjoyed the tension it employed so much I had to hear the rest of it. Truly, I think the song is a space to be experienced. It feels as if you are wandering into the unknown and I highly recommend it.

Listen to the playlist on Spotify: