Review Summary: Just to know you was to piss my whole mind away but it felt amazing
Breakups are inevitable. No matter how old we are or what our circumstances may be, the end to a relationship is a path we must take to evolve and grow. Summer is a popular time for short term relationships where dopamine levels in the brain are higher, leading to increased levels of arousal and happiness. The forlorn conclusion is often in the winter period. People drift in and out of our lives although the pain of leaving never gets any easier. Separation season details the tumultuous points of a failed relationship.
Title track featuring Charlie Simpson showcases the bands knack for strong melodies. Jangly clean guitars intermixed with a layer of distortion. Drumming complements itself against unique strumming patterns. The instrumentation itself is reminiscent of Placebos earliest work. A clear highlight is the vocal chorus harmonies "Tell Me Where You Are" A bastard love child of Simon Neil and Jack Steadman eschewing tales of drunken lust.
Those who share similar ideologies tend to last longer in relationships. The emotions people carry with them into new romances can often be a detrimental factor. Self destructive behaviour can lead to one leeching the self worth of a prospective lover. In built on a burial ground " You were always on the verge of tears and I was raging really hard for years, I was insufferable I was in kind of a state back then" demonstrates that a lack of self worth creates a damaging situation that effects the ability to give and receive love.
On the other side of the coin evident in the albums most personal track Satan, reveals a more painful truth. Some people just aren't meant to be together. Stripped down to just an acoustic guitar and vocals it paints a breakdown of communication " You took my heart and you filled it with dread,
I was empty, broken, worn out but you wanted pain instead" stuck in a void of resentment embattled with an unwillingness to let go.
Separation Season celebrates the ugly side of attachment. Bearing dirty laundry in a cathartic narrative and joyful rhythms. There is a certain pride to take from overcoming a personal conflict. As if you've accomplished an impossible feat being able to recover and build yourself back up again. Only to repeat the same process further along the line. Love is a drug but it's one hell of a drug "Just to know you was to piss my whole mind away but it felt amazing"
