Upon the first listen, I was not only unimpressed, but actually thought the vocals to be somewhat annoying. I will now describe the vocals as hauntingly beautiful. It may take multiple listens to affect your musical pallet, but I recommend doing so. It’s worth it. I had the same problem when I first heard Dylan. The first time I listened to The Tallest Man on Earth. Get over it quick, because this album is great.
Lyrical and thematically, if my understanding is correct, is mostly about vulnerability, desire, and lovemaking.
“Plaything” has an African percussive, staccato backdrop with some sultry lyrics. On “Reach a Bit Further”, they continue with a similar style, but they are two very different songs and flow well with the rest of the album.
“Lion’s Share” was the first track I heard (via Ryan), which I initially hated. The vocals, at times, had smacks of Jimmy Volmer, the handi-capable boy (not Timmy) from South Park. I didn’t care much for the lyrics either, until I had read them a couple of times.
As lyrics go, “Albatross” has to be the breadwinner of the album. Lyrically, the song alludes to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s classic symbol of guilt in his poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. With guilt comes blame and self-flagellation as Hayden Thorpe croons regretfully, “the secrets that I should have shared.”
The feel of this album is ultimately mellow, with the exception of “The End Come Too Soon” and “Bed of Nails”, which still put off the same vibe, but are a little more up-tempo. If you have forty five minutes to spare. I suggest giving this a listen.
Final Score: 9.2 / 10
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