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sign inReview: This album is controlled, chaotic, and intricate fun. From my very first listen of this project, I knew I had to write about... it. In the two days since then (better late than never), I have listened nonstop and I’m still kind of at a loss for words. Even though this album has 5 main ideas, it’s hard to even isolate one at a time to focus on because of the amount of callbacks and full circle moments. The beauty of this album is that it was made to be listened to as just that, an album. So, even though there are technically 5 tracks, it’s kind of meaningless to look at it that way. Because of this, I will be taking a different approach to understanding this project than I normally do. Instead of going track by track, I will try to talk about it as a whole, with some highlights of specific moments if I feel it is necessary. With that, I would like to first acknowledge how immensely detailed the production is. I really don’t think I have ever heard an album with quite as many instrumental layers that all work together as well as they do on this album. Arguably one of the most iconic things about this album is the ambient elements in between tracks as an intermission of sorts. On just about any other album, these extended breaks would have been a drawback, but I believe this only helps the listening experience on Frances for a couple of reasons. First, as I just said, when the tracks reach their peaks, they stay there and don’t let go of you until they are ready to end. Without these ambient breaks, I think it would have been so much harder to listen to because you would be overloaded with information, which brings me to my next point, these moments of calm before the storm makes the climax of Cassandra Gemini hit you on a far deeper level because it is the centerpiece of this whole thing. Those two reasons alone would usually be enough justification, but they go the extra mile to make it even better by making it quality, engaging ambience. Even though it’s certainly less obvious than the louder peaks of sound during the midsections of the tracks, there are still a lot of layers in the ambient soundscapes that just show their musical versatility as artists and composers. Before I get into the undeniable masterpiece that is ‘Cassandra Gemini’, I feel it is necessary to address the lyrics and concept. To be frank, I have not had enough time with this project to digest and process the wall of content that is the esoteric lyrics and overarching story behind this beauty of an LP. I am aware that this is a concept album, but I am trying my very hardest to make my own interpretations of it. One moment that has resonated with me lyrically though, is found on ‘Miranda That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore’. The title alone gives me the idea that it is a critique on religion or rather the collective misinterpretation of scripture, but the lines “and when Miranda sang, everyone turned away, used to the noose they obey” just further validates those feelings. That line stuck with me a lot because of the implications of people feeling like they can’t speak out about wrongdoings in not only the church but in other corrupt places in life too. The last thing I want to cover is the epic climax of the whole project, ‘Cassandra Gemini’. If you haven’t heard this album or 8 part song and you want to, I would highly discourage reading ahead as I will write some things that would spoil a first listen. What makes this song so amazing to me is how reflective it is and the way it’s able to put previous ideas into different contexts. The first two parts have some distinct choruses that are revisited at the end in an explosive outro after a few parts take an equally epic, but more controlled and patient route. I wasn’t paying attention to the tracklist on first listen, so I kept thinking it was going to end after the second part. Not in a way that I wanted it to end, but I felt there was no way they could possibly top the euphoria the first couple of parts made me feel. I was sorely mistaken because as it progressed it just got better and better and better. My favorite part is towards the end on part 6 where there is a long instrumental buildup into the reprise of part 2 that leads perfectly into the outro that reprises part 1. In that moment of remembering what I had heard and piecing together that it was the same chorus, the album felt truly complete, like it was telling me it was the end personally. The final part leads perfectly into the opening track of the whole record, which only further blows my mind. I really find it hard to put words to the feeling you get when it all starts to make sense, but I hope I did my best to describe even a fraction of that. Ratings: Favorite Song: The Widow (or Cassandra Gemini if that counts) Other Great Ones: All 5 of em Least Favorite Songs: None Favorite 3 Track Run: Con Safo Multiple Spouse Wounds Sarcophagi Overall Rating: 10/10 show more
Background: 100 gecs might be one of the most interesting acts of recent years. Comprised of Laura Les and Dylan Brady, the avant-garde duo... has released some of the most unique and creative music of the past decade. Their omnigenre exploration of music has redefined some smaller spheres, such as hyperpop and even punk for the new wave of artists, in subtle ways. My first introduction to their discography was in 2020 with the infamous “money machine”. I remember listening to that song and having a moment of complete confusion. “Should I laugh or bang my head?” is the question I asked myself, not being able to answer myself until the release of their follow-up LP. 100 gecs is a true phenomenon in music, walking the line between meme and art. Review: This album holds no punches in a rushed, yet complete array of sounds and experiments that defies genre and thinks not only outside of the box, but out of this world. There truly is no artist doing it quite like gecs, not only in their exploration through genres and eras of music but in the feeling you get from it. I briefly explained my introduction to their works in the background section, but what I left out was how the memes and comedic aspects play to the gecs’ strengths effortlessly. The whole time you’re listening to a 100 gecs album, you feel this combination of conflicting emotions that are outright addicting and aren’t combined enough in music. Usually, when you listen to an electronic song or a punk song, they take themselves seriously through lyricism and atmosphere, but what sets Dylan and Laura apart from the others is they are completely, wildly, and absurdly unserious, and it works so well for them because it’s so silly and fun. In this way, it brings me to an extremely weird comparison that I could not unthink once I connected the dots. 100 gecs is like the reincarnation of They Might Be Giant’s energy into a completely different form. What makes me return to 100 gecs so much is the same drug that TMBG’s music is laced with: pure humanity and whimsy. Not too overdone to the point it becomes a novelty instead of a piece of art, but not so monotonous it becomes another brick in the wall of new music. All of this aside, the tracks on their own are produced incredibly well, reflecting a lot of the absurdity presented in Dylan’s cadence. Some of the biggest highlights in this album are the points where it changes out of nowhere, like the random nu-metal track ‘Billy Knows Jamie’ or the beat switch in the middle of ‘757’ leading into an awesome verse. In some ways, even though the album doesn’t take itself very seriously, there are some points where you can see genuine growth from their last project. Tracks like ‘Hollywood Baby’ and ‘Dumbest Girl Alive’ almost make you forget who you’re listening to. These moments keep their personality while proving that they are extremely capable and talented at their craft. Overall, this album blew me and my expectations away. Ratings: Favorite Song: Billy Knows Jamie Other Great Ones: 757, One Million Dollars Hollywood Baby, Dumbest Girl Alive Least Favorite Songs: I Got My Tooth Removed Favorite 3 Track Run: Billy Knows Jamie One Million Dollars The Most Wanted Person In The United States show more
PART 1: REVIEW This album is pure bliss. From the extremely polished and pretty production to the beautiful vocal performance to the attention-grabbing pace,... this project, in my eyes, is flawless. First, this album shows such an incredible understanding of pacing and flow, as even songs without traditional transitions keep the listener hooked from start to end. Some pacing moments that really resonated with me are at found at the end of ‘Angel on a Satellite’ and the end of ‘Vampire in the Corner’. VITC is a slower song found in the first half of the album. After the vocals end, the instrumental loops four times until the chord progression is resolved and then the song abruptly ends with the beat of ‘Watching TV’. This is one of my favorite unconventional transitions on this album because it keeps the momentum moving, especially considering the following track has some buildup throughout the song and can be viewed as a slow burn. I think this shows an incredible understanding of album pacing and gives listeners like myself more of a reason to listen to the full thing again. The other example I had is very similar to the first and is found on ‘Angel on a Satellite’. It’s probably the slowest and most emotional song on the album, with the outro transitioning to the hopeful and happy ‘The Ballad of Matt & Mica’. I again love this transition and placement because it picks the album back up and ends it in a fun and uplifting way. Without transitions like these, the project would feel much less cohesive. Another thing I love about this project as a whole is the vocal performance. Songs like ‘Watching TV’ and ‘True Blue Interlude’ have some of the most angelic singing I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Mica’s nasally voice really brings out the best in the dreamy, lively, and otherworldly production. The last thing I wanted to touch on about the album as a whole before we get into the details of the songs themselves is the production. This production style is as entrancing and entertaining as it is incredibly diverse and hard-hitting in soundscapes for being a “synth-pop” record. It can be psychedelic and electronic at times, or it can be borderline rock music with heavy bass and drumlines, yet somehow the whole thing from start to finish is very cohesive even with this diversity and range of sounds presented. With all of this out of the way, we can begin to talk about some of my favorite songs on this album. First, on ‘Cry for Me’ we are introduced to the beautiful synth-heavy atmosphere which is built up into an ABBA-inspired heartbreaking, yet grand and hopeful vocals with lyrics such as “think of love when you remember me”. The piano in the background also adds to the emotion and buildup of the track. The next track I want to talk about is ‘Watching TV’. I have already covered how much I love the transition into this song, but I also have strong feelings about the rest of it. First off, there is a killer crushed drum loop that starts off the song, with an electric bass lick and top synth notes coming in later. In my opinion, the real MVP of this song is the singing. Though the beginning is mostly spoken word, the middle and end pick up the pace with gorgeous vocals into the explosive outro with the repeated lines “It’s time to meet, the monsters inside you”. It’s hard to explain just how emotional and powerful this song is without just playing it for you, so if you haven’t already listened, please do yourself a favor and at least listen to this song. Next, I’d like to talk about the song ‘Image’. I like this song for different reasons than the others we have talked about so far. The writing on this song is, in my opinion, perfect. It is placed in the beginning of the album right after the first interlude, which makes so much sense for it being a very catchy song that also develops the atmosphere very well. I also love that there is a countdown started on this song that leads to the beat switch on ‘Tunnel Vision’. I think that because it is a more standard pop song, some of these things get overlooked, but I personally enjoyed the hell out of the songwriting and production as usual. The last song I want to touch on is my favorite on this album, which is ‘Love Is Everywhere’. I love the song ‘running out of time’ by Lil Yachty, so hearing the bass line on this project was truly special. I also love how it completely changes the pace from the previous song being very rock-inspired and heavy, to the ethereal funk-influenced song ‘Love Is Everywhere’. I can’t help but listen in awe of the vocals on this song paired with that groovy bass line. It brings such an amazing balance to the song sonically, while also keeping the album moving along interestingly. Overall, I don’t see this album being topped this year for me and it is truly an incredible experience every single time. PART 2: ANALYSIS Overview: Few albums have made me connect with them quite as much as Imaginal Disk. Since writing my original review a week following its release, I have found a lot more to say about it but struggled to find a way to say it on here in non-review form. I find that the best way to talk about its concept is to go track by track and then as a whole. This album can have many different interpretations thematically and conceptually, but this is just mine. I always highly suggest finding your own meaning to each track before you consider mine, especially because I will not be considering lore from previous albums or music videos, but taking lyrics as is. She Looked Like Me!: The album opens with a seemingly out of place verse about the duo, Matt and Mica’s ancestry and family history. Their families escape from their Nazi-occupied homes to Argentina take the forefront, with a line relating these ideas to concepts explored later in the project. This line is “La-love, born to marry”. As you will soon learn, this album talks a lot about fate and destiny, especially one’s fate to fall in love and die. The next verse again introduces us to a concept that will be further explored later, with the lines “I didn’t know her when she walked in, but I recognized her eyes… And she felt like a dream, I didn’t know what to think, she looked like me” “she shot at me like an earthbound bullet and then she wrapped her hands around my neck and I felt love”. These lines introduce us to the narrator’s obsession with perfecting herself and finding validation from others, essentially saying that even though she is choking herself, it is an act of love to be better. Clearly, this is an unhealthy mindset, but this is only the beginning. Killing Time: The next track takes a far more introspective and metaphorical approach to some of the concepts. Some important lines that build on to the story of the album are “without love I’m without me” and “if time is meant for living why’s it killing me?” These lines show clear desperation for love or validation from someone else. “There’s always time for living, but never time for me” implies that maybe this isn’t a new desire, but one that has grown so strong that it is uncontrollable now. True Blue Interlude: This brings us to the next track, which is almost like an advertisement for the person she wants to become. “Something lies dormant inside and it’s been there all along” shows how she believes that the change to become this “perfect” version of herself is found within, which is partially true. As we will discuss later on, the change she needs to make is not to try and push herself to be perfect, but to accept her issues and move forward. Though it is implied in that line that she needs to make the change herself, the next few tracks seem to conflict with that and show that she seeks acceptance from others. Image: The next track finds her in a new relationship to hopefully fill the void that that is her self-esteem and self-worth. This track has some conflicting themes, hinting at some confusion and problems in her relationship. For example, there is a line, “I‘m the best you’ve got, true or not, I’ve got common sense” that implies that the relationship might not be ideal or even working, but she stays in it to feel loved or validated. Another interesting line is found in the last chorus “make me in your image”. This is something that will be revisited later, but it gives a look into her mindset of needing someone else to love her because she can’t do it for herself. Death & Romance: This track brings a more literal approach to her feelings and her relationship. It goes back to the ideas of fate and destiny, directly saying that the two given things in life, death and romance, are never fair and can be taken from you easily. I would also say this is a way she coped with her less than ideal relationship, by convincing herself that even though it’s not fair, she’s lucky to have it at all. It’s a bittersweet look at her and her partner’s love for each other because of the sacrifices portrayed in the lyrics in order to love each other. In the first verse, the lines “I wait hours for your car, are we too late? Are we too far?” really tug on my heartstrings because it seems like even though they have both given so much to each other, it’s not enough to save their relationship. The chorus, “my hands, your hands, I’ll hold forever, no way I’ll break hold, no not ever” is almost foreshadowing the fallout and struggle to accept the end. Fear, Sex: Following the troubles in their relationship, this song brings a retrospective view to their relationship, heavily implying it ended somewhere after the previous track. “So you stand, in a broken war, you fall upon your sword” suggests that the other person in the relationship couldn’t take it and “surrendered”. The outro verse “please don’t die alone, overhead, I’ll surrender to the voices in the end, should’ve known those dirty bastards would put wires in your head, are you there? All alone lost in forever” suggests maybe her partner was manipulative and instilled fears of never finding love in her head. Vampire In The Corner: After the inevitable end of their relationship, she tries to come to terms with her loss, clearly not over the relationship. Though it seems like a love song, lines like “sorry like a flower that never gets any sun, I hang my head down, let the bees do their buzz” depict her as defeated and letting life wash over her, while being overwhelmed at life moving around her. The buildup and climax of the song represents a newfound obsession with themselves and their flaws after the end of their relationship, grappling on to the idea of perfecting themselves in a desperate attempt to somehow feel better. This also goes back to the idea introduced on ‘True Blue Interlude’ about finding the purest version of yourself and pushing yourself to be the best. Watching T.V.: In this song, we’re introduced to the true main conflict, her perception of themself. The track opens with the lines “too much watching T.V., it’s gonna rot you from the inside out”, which could be a metaphor for her addiction to validation and self-perfection. Another important line, “if you wanna be clean, you gotta scrub until the blood comes out” shows her unhealthy headspace and romanticization of being the “best” version of herself, even if it’s really taking a toll on her. The hook, “it’s time to meet the monsters inside you” could be further grooming her belief that she needs to be perfect, or could be a wake up call. For sake of convenience and to align with the rest of my analysis, I will go with the latter. I think this also makes the most sense given the rest of the tracklist, so with that we can continue. Tunnel Vision: This track is kind of a self-reflection of sorts, with her finally coming to terms with her identity and true self, embracing her flaws and learning to give herself grace. “I learn of right and wrong, I learn to follow one and suddenly I can breathe” shows the relief she feels after growing as a person and allowing herself to make mistakes and learn from them. Love Is Everywhere: The turning point of the whole album is found on the follow up track ‘Love Is Everywhere’. This song is perfectly placed, with her experiences in the last few tracks shaping her and eventually teaching her that she doesn’t need others to validate her. There’s always room for love whether it be within you or externally. The bridge, “building an image to judge you for what you did, wrap it, pack it, throw it with all the sh*t, there’s always room for love” is an amazing summary of the plot so far, and is such a beautiful message universally. However, this is not the end. That’s My Floor: This track introduces a new plot point. Even after being more kind to herself, there is still something missing in her life and it leads her to rock bottom. “Life’s a chore, but floating above the lobby, that’s my door” in my interpretation alludes to taking her own life as an escape from all the hardship she’s endured. The instrumental breakdown at the end with the erratic guitar could represent her mental health rapidly deteriorating. Cry For Me: In all honesty, I could make an entire post analyzing this song alone. The instrumental has so many layers to it, not to mention the powerful poetry on top of it. All around, this song is perfect, but I will do my best to just explain why this song is so amazing lyrically. The first act if you will, begins with the lines “thinking of you from a road that has no bends”. She is clearly thinking of her ex-lover and regrets letting go of them. “I’ll take all your thanks and all your sympathies, cry for me, cry for me” shows more of her intentions behind taking her life, implying that she thinks because she dies that people will give her attention and sympathy that she felt she didn’t receive while she was alive. The next verse, “plenty of time here to nurture consequence, if you don’t hear back then god had other plans, I leave all my dregs to all my progeny, cry for me, cry for me” suggests that she is letting her emotions take over her and “nurturing consequence” by wallowing in her sadness and hurting herself because of it. “I leave all my dregs to all my progeny” could be referring to the ones around her, like friends or family, being left with the hurt she passed down. The second act starts with the lines “fate, lead me astray” which I interpret as a cry for help, desperately asking someone to change her mind. “All along there was a story, spare me all the allegories please, oh please” is kind of a contradiction to the last line because she is essentially saying she doesn’t want help or words of advice. I think the previous line is internal, while the other is external, like saying that she doesn’t want help while secretly hoping someone can save her from her emotions. “Think of love when you remember me” is mostly self-explanatory but it’s probably her note to those around her to remember the great times she had when she was alive instead of dwelling on how her life ended. Angel on a Satellite: This track is almost like a divine intervention. It seems that after her attempt to end her life, she comes to her senses because of either a realization that she can come out of the situation stronger, or because of someone else talking her down from it. This intervention or person is represented as an “angel on a satellite”. At the end of the song, she says “when I see me through your eyes I love me, so don’t leave my sight, you always see the sky, angel on a satellite” which could imply two different things depending on what you believe the intervention was. First, it could be her talking to herself and finally truly loving herself and finding her worth from within. Alternatively, it could be that she goes into a new relationship and falls into the same pit of depending on someone else to feel better about herself. The Ballad of Matt & Mica: The final track is a reprise of the first. Its overly confident and positive lyrics like “fly high overzealous, past paragon, that’s why I’m the greatest” make it clear that no matter what happened in the last two tracks, it ultimately worked out and gave her a happy ending either with herself or a partner. It’s such a fitting conclusion for this rollercoaster of an album and puts a very upbeat spin on the opening. Conclusion: Though the story is not necessary to appreciate the greatness of this album, it certainly doesn’t disappoint and makes me love it even more every time I play it. I swear every listen I find something new I love about it and that is truly saying something considering I have some 10k listens to the tracks. I hope this makes you understand why this album is so special to me and inspires you to make your own interpretations of this album and others. Thank you if you read this far :) show more
This album is my second favorite project from the beloved pop-punk band Green Day. If I am being completely honest, even when I... was really big into Green Day, this album always seemed very daunting. I avoided it for a long time because of my TikTok pea brain with a non-existent attention span. I think this album has grown on me the most as time passes out of their entire discography. There’s not a whole lot of lore for this one other than that, but I promise I will have more interesting things to talk about in the coming posts. Anyway, I love this album sonically and lyrically. I think this album probably displays their best songwriting, with bigger sounds and concepts than they have ever attempted since this album. This album also has some of the most emotionally mature and nuanced writing that we have seen from this group to this date. As a whole, this project also has an incredible nonstop and entertaining flow for having two 10-minute songs and clocking in at just under an hour. I also firmly believe that this is their most grand and ambitious ever, even though the following project, ‘21st Century Breakdown’ tries to be that too. This album is one of few that makes an hour feel like 10 minutes with such incredible writing. Front to back, this album is a masterpiece, with so many hits and classics found in the tracklist. Beyond that, it’s a great and cohesive piece of music that will always be a staple in not only the pop-punk scene, but the rock scene in general. The album starts out with the iconic title track, ‘American Idiot’. This song sets the mood and theme of the album perfectly with punchy, loud guitar riffs and political bars. This track is obviously calling out post-9/11 American media for fear-mongering, as well as the American people for racism. One line I also take away from this song is the “all across the alienation” bar. This is an amazing double entendre touching on the hypocrisy of Americans’ depiction of immigrants and undocumented people, while most come from immigrant backgrounds, and living in an “alien nation”, where Americans are isolated from the rest of the world culturally. Moving on to ‘Jesus of Suburbia’, we have an epic, hard-hitting 9 minute track with several beat switches parts. The first verse touches on the backwards mindset of an ignorant middle-class American. The song starts with the line “I’m the son of rage and love, the Jesus of Suburbia” which is a clear reference to the political climate around the time this was released. “Rage” representing those who encouraged the war and “love” representing those who didn’t. This verse also has lines showing the clear christ complex that the narrator has, with lines like “get my television fix, sitting on my crucifix” and “there’s nothing wrong with me, this is how I’m supposed to be, in a land of make-believe that don’t believe in me” comparing himself to Jesus because of the societal and economic pressure to contribute. This is clearly meant to be an ironic verse pointing out the ignorance and backwardness of the mindset some people who are privileged enough to not have to work have. The second part of this track is an allegory for the bible, using graffiti on the walls of a gas station as a literary device to represent scriptures by essentially saying that people resonate with words that have been written long before them and will most likely outlive them because it makes them feel comfortable. I think the reason the gas station represents it is a subtle dig at how easily people will believe something without using logic to cherry pick and use it against people, which would make sense considering the theme of the album is more broadly about people’s misunderstandings of other cultures that results in violence. Moving on, in part 3, we see the bigger picture, with the lead singer directly calling out the hypocritical ideas mentioned earlier as well as comparing all of America to the “disciples of The Jesus of Suburbia” or in more blunt terms, the people who misconstrue things in the bible to justify their hate for others or the people who have a christ complex and consider themselves an exception. The last part I want to touch on in this song is the section where this character is reflecting on his actions. “Oh, therapy can you please fill the void... nobody’s perfect and I stand accused” again showing the mindset of a “disciple of the Jesus of Suburbia” by showing how little remorse they have for their ignorance. I also love how this message corresponds with the music, as when the verse starts, the music slows down, but when the verse ends it abruptly ramps up again. This highlights the brief moment of regret before the narrator quickly consoles himself by convincing himself he’s done nothing wrong and that he’s “only human”. Moving on to the next track, ‘Holiday’ with another political anthem, this time way less figurative and much more in your face. The chorus “I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies, this is the dawning of the rest of our lives” clearly represents the individual’s thoughts with so much misinformation and propaganda surrounding the war. One of my favorite moments on this whole album is found in the bridge. I won’t quote this song, as I would basically quote the whole bridge, but the way it compares America to N*zi Germany is nothing short of genius. The whole verse is not too far off from the way American culture villainizes other ways of life while we have our own issues. The song ends with guitar feedback that transitions into the second part, ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’. This song is one of the most iconic and well known Green Day songs there is, but honestly I don’t have a whole lot to say about it. I love it, but there’s less to talk about compared to the others, so I am going to move on. The next song, “Are We The Waiting” is another grand and emotional song in the already stacked tracklist. The lyrics are about the narrator’s desire to leave his hometown. I love the song, but in my opinion, its second half carries it. The song abruptly ends into ‘St. Jimmy’, the loud, fast-paced better half to ‘Are We The Waiting’. I believe St. Jimmy is the Jesus of Suburbia’s alter-ego, because the whole song is full of over the top self-gloating and confidence. I love ‘St. Jimmy’ because it is so needed after two slower paced songs, and it’s also very funny, while keeping the same aesthetic and story moving. Next, we have ‘Give Me Novacaine’. If I had to choose a slow song on this album, it would be this one or ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’. It’s so emotional and at times, uplifting to hear. The way it conveys its message is beautiful because it starts off with a lot of self-pity but evolves into a hopeful song, even with the same chorus. The musical context brings it to have a different meaning. The second half of this song, ‘She’s A Rebel’ is not my favorite, but it’s grown on me a lot. I love the way it paints a picture and makes a reference to the album cover with the line “she’s holding on my heart like a hand grenade”. Also, I believe this song also adds to the story because she is Jesus of Suburbia/St. Jimmy’s love interest. However, this relationship is short, as the next song, ‘Extraordinary Girl’ goes through their troubles in their relationship. I love the different guitar textures and riffs going on in this song, and I also love the drum fills during the end of the hook. This song is truly an anthem and the message can really be applied universally even outside of this album. I love the emotion that went into this song and I love the second half as well. The next track, ‘Letterbomb’ follows the Jesus of Suburbia’s breakup with his girlfriend while also going back to the political themes explored earlier in the album. The song opens with the lines “nobody likes you, everyone left you, they’re all out without you, having fun”. This line is revisited in the next track as well, but there are some lines I want to highlight in the verse. “The town bishop’s an extortionist, and he don’t even know that you exist” is a brilliant line referring to religion in medieval times and even today with televangelists asking for funds. The hook, “It’s not over til you’re underground, it’s not over before it’s too late” is given different meaning by the end of the track as well, by showing how the Jesus of Suburbia is in denial and grasping desperately to whatever is left of his relationship once it is revealed that his love interest is leaving him. The last few lines from this song I want to talk about is “You’re not the Jesus of Suburbia, the St. Jimmy is a figment of, your father’s rage and your mother’s love, made me the idiot America”. These lines give me chills every single time because of the way it puts the entire album into a new perspective. The line about St. Jimmy proves my point earlier about it being an alter-ego, the Jesus of Suburbia line puts him in place, saying that he is not an exception and needs to get his life in order, and the line about idiot America completely shifts the blame from others to Jesus of Suburbia as an individual for complying and conforming. This song is a complete turning point in the album as well, with the follow-up track, ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ reflecting on his life and relationship. The pure emotion that went into this track is undeniable, and it goes from something sad to something inspiring and hopeful towards the future, as well as showing that Jesus of Suburbia has changed because of his experience with his relationship. This nearly 10 minute penultimate track displays the band’s easily be their own standalone songs. This song in my eyes is Jesus of Suburbia’s way of distracting him from his life collapsing around him. This song is one of, if not my favorite Green Day song they have ever released. The lyrics pick up at the very end of the song after Tre’s verse. The rest of the song is him finally confronting his breakup and reflecting on the events of the album in an extremely grand and entertaining way. The song ends the same way that ‘Letterbomb’ began, with the lines “Nobody likes you, everyone left you, they’re all out without you, having fun”. A truly symbolic and epic way to end an incredible track. The last chemistry and technical ability with several beat switches and parts that could easily be their own standalone songs. This song in my eyes is Jesus of Suburbia’s way of distracting him from his life collapsing around him. This song is one of, if not my favorite Green Day song they have ever released. The lyrics pick up at the very end of the song after Tre’s verse. The rest of the song is him finally confronting his breakup and reflecting on the events of the album in an extremely grand and entertaining way. The song ends the same way that ‘Letterbomb’ began, with the lines “Nobody likes you, everyone left you, they’re all out without you, having fun”. A truly symbolic and epic way to end an incredible track. The last track, ‘Whatsername’ follows Jesus of Suburbia settling with his breakup by trying to make himself forget his love’s name. The bare bones track quickly blows up into Jesus of Suburbia admitting that he can’t forget her in one of my favorite album closers ever. All in all, this album is amazing, and seeing it live was mind-blowing. This whole project is an experience that is undeniably important and influential to pop-punk and rock as a whole, and it truly makes their legacy that much greater. show more
This album is a cathartic and breathtaking rollercoaster of emotions and ideas. No sonic space goes unexplored in this masterpiece of a project. I... have never heard a pop album as full and rich with its sound palettes as this. This is pretty obvious if you’ve heard this album before, but the lyrics are also so well-written and even poetic at times. This thing is packed with heartfelt and raw passion. It just wouldn't work with anyone other than Natalie due to the fact that there is so much genuine emotion in her voice. I think every lyrical and conceptual choice was very intentional and relatable to further tug on the heartstrings of the listener. I would honestly be extremely shocked if she didn’t write these lyrics from her own personal experiences and viewpoints because it just sounds so believable. From the first minute of the opening track, you can already tell you’ll need the tissues on hand for the whole project. Few albums, let alone songs, evoke such emotion in me in such a short amount of time. I’m pretty sure anyone over the age of 3 years old can appreciate the lyrical content in ‘A Lot’s Gonna Change’ The extremely vulnerable, yet hopeful message in this track, “A lot’s gonna change in your lifetime, try to leave it all behind in your lifetime/Cause you got what it takes in your lifetime, try to leave it all behind in your lifetime”, is sure to either start a mid/beginning/end-life-crisis, or end one depending on your headspace. It’s also worth mentioning that this album focuses on these themes a lot. Whether it is as direct as in the intro or as subtle as in the following track, ‘Andromeda’. This song may appear to be a love song at first glance, but when inspected further, it is a tale of insecurity and desperation for meaning in what short time we have on Earth that I believe more people relate to than they are willing to admit. The disguise of passionate love quickly wears off when you look into the lyrics; “Something’s better than nothing, or so that I thought” “Running from my own life now, I’m really turning some time”. It becomes increasingly clear that she is referencing the expectation of finding love, or something that resembles it, to somehow give her life meaning. So many believe this lie because of what is perpetuated through media and elsewhere, but it’s simply untrue that your life magically fixes itself when you find a partner. It is, however, very fitting for the themes in this album of fearing the passage of time and finding something to make your time alive worthwhile. The next track, ‘Everyday’ is very similar conceptually to ‘Andromeda’. I don’t really know what to say about it that I haven’t said about track 2, so I will just say that musically it has one of my favorite hooks on the project, and a beautiful outro. Following ‘Everyday’ is my second favorite on this album, ‘Something to Believe’. The illusion of love has worn off as she reflects on her relationship with clarity and, in her own words, emptiness. The chorus, “And at night I just laid down and cried, the waters don’t really go by me, give me something I can see, something bigger and louder than the voices in me, something to believe” kind of confirms my interpretations with the last few songs, showing her absolutely desperate and anxious headspace to find “something to believe” and give her a purpose or anything to look forward to in this lonely life. After an instrumental interlude, we get yet another dense and rich, epic contribution to the themes of the album. ‘Movies’ is another reflective track, essentially being one big metaphor for her perception of love and existential dread. “Making love to a counterfeit” is her way of saying that her view of her own life’s purpose causes her to live to someone else’s standard and, in turn, figuratively living a non-life that’s completely fake, but appears to be successful from an outside lens. The outro, “I wanna be in my own movie, I wanna be the star of mine” gives a glimmer of hope to the otherwise depressing album and shows that she wants to change and find her meaning from within. ‘Mirror Forever’ is much less cut and dry with its lyrics, but from what I can gather it’s a breakup song. Compared to the rest of the album, it’s also quite pessimistic when referring to her ex; “Can’t stand being your second best”. Though she portrays her partner as less than ideal, she also acknowledges that she wasn’t the best with the refrain “Oh baby, take a look in the mirror”. The second to last full song, ‘Wild Time’ comes back to some familiar themes from before, full of regret for the loss of her relationship, even if it wasn’t perfect, “Didn’t know you were one in a million, stuck inside the wall, I’m wondering how we ever got here”. Toward the end of the track, we see pieces of a resolution with the lines “Love, pain, loving you, everyone knows you just did what you had to”. Finally, my favorite song ‘Picture Me Better’ finds her attempting to cope with the loss of her relationship. Though she tries to console herself, the weight of her expectations is too much and her true feelings slip through in the verses and haunting chorus, “Waiting for the call from beyond, waiting for something with meaning to come through soon”. If you recall earlier in the album, this is very similar to the hook on ‘Something to Believe', and in some ways ties the beginning and end together as a conceptual loop. The last instrumental, ‘Nearer to Thee’, further strengthens my claim because it is a reprise of the first track, ‘A Lot’s Gonna Change’. Overall, this album is one of my favorites of recent years and I feel like I learned so much, even as I’m sitting down and writing my thoughts. I feel as though I didn’t give enough praise to the musical aspects compared to the lyrics, but I would have gone in circles about how pretty it is if I hadn’t stopped myself and focused my attention to the poetic nature of the lyrics and analyzing the themes introduced in the project as a whole. If there is any takeaway from this album, it would be to look at your relationships and ask yourself if it’s what YOU want and not what others think it should be. show more