Review Summary: An album that bares its soul, so l could bare mine.
''All we care about is that it makes you feel something. That it has some sort of emotional value, that’s all that we care about.'' - Patrick Miranda.
It's quite amazing what music can do for you in the wake of personal grief. Fighting against mental health and depression is a constant struggle. On most occasions, l turn to music to help me get out of this head space, but on some occasions, the music you're listening to is able to help you in a way you didn't think was imaginable. Listening to Movements' superb record 'Feel Something' is a visceral experience for me, an experience that l have not had before in my 25 years of being alive. Listening to Movements and this record for me is a calming feeling. It's almost like a cleansing of my soul. I have forged a connection with this album and l will demonstrate why that is in this review.
Vocalist Patrick Miranda is the heart and soul of the Orange County, CA four piece, and his baring of his soul on every song on this record has *pun alert* definitely made me feel something. His superb vocal delivery is something that everyone can identify as being completely genuine and it is evident that this is a tremendous form of expression for the front man. I always identify strongly with his lyrics and the passion and conviction in which he sings with leaves no doubt about how he feels. I am someone who loves well written lyrics. I feel like l need to connect to lyrics to be able to enjoy the music that l am being offered and this band delivers all l could ever wish to hear.
In Third Degree, Miranda sings of broken relationships:
''Burn yourself into me. And leave my body charred. So when you decide to leave I can write about my scars''
He also explores a situation in which he is stuck in a loveless relationship in Under The Gun:
''I tried to see it through cause they say that love is blind. We washed up on the rocks cause we were covering our eyes. I'm sick of waiting for a change of tide. Tired of blaming on an anxious mind. I've become jaded and I'm losing sight. I can't fake this, I said I loved you but I lied''
Miranda doesn't just sing of the bad experiences that he has had. He turns it around in 'Deep Red' where he sings about the positives in his life. This shows us a different side of the front man's lyric writing. This is where he shows us that he has found his love:
''But when it comes to you, my world is red. I see in shades of grey, losing my mind again. But when it comes to you, my world is deep red''
This record's lyrics are not just concerned of seeing the world through a bad lens, but also looking at the good in the world with 'Daylily' a great example of this. It talks about how someone deserves to see the good in the world that others see for them, but they might not necessarily see themselves:
''I think it's time you had a pink cloud summer. 'Cause you've gone too long without a smile''
Last but not least, l want to talk about 'Deadly Dull'. Now when l first heard this song, l am not afraid to say it drew tears to my eyes because l knew the situation that was being described all too well. This song is about Pat Miranda's experience in which he had a close person in his life who had dementia. I connected to this song on an incredible level because l have recently been through the loss of a close loved one. My Grandmother. She didn't have dementia, but what stuck with me from this song is its painful truth:
''It's a deadly dull. Like a sword stuck in its sheath. A mind once sharp and full. Now clouded and diseased''
The thing about a long term illness is that you can see that the end is ahead and it's coming up way too fast. Seeing a loved one very slowly lose what they once had is an agonising feeling and this song means an awful lot to me as the grief being portrayed is something l have felt for a long time. I have talked about the lyrics a bit more than some might want to see, but they are of incredible importance to the enjoyment of this band and are important to me as l have grown attached to many of them.
Moving on now to the other band members who all deserve praise for their performances. Ira George's guitar work is in some ways subtle, providing great harmonies with Miranda's vocals, but he is allowed to shine on many occasions, like his fantastic riff in 'Full Circle' which is able to stand out even with Miranda's impassioned delivery. George keeps his playing simple but in a way that it provides no detriment to the band's sound. His melodies are varied but like l mentioned above, what l love most is the subtly of his playing.
Austin Cressey's bass playing follows along with Ira George's providing great backup. I must also say how much l enjoyed the production of this record with the bass being able to be audible at all times and thank god it is because it adds a great tone to the band's sound. 'Deep Red' begins with a nice bass solo which allows Cressey to shine while George remains somewhat in the background with his soft playing. I find that a common criticism l have of music is how bass can easily be lost in a mix, but the bass sound is a strong component and that in turn allows the listener to hear Cressey's simple but effective playing.
Spencer York completes the band's sound with his great drumming performance providing the band with a platform that allows all of them to shine. York's playing like his band-mates follows along the tempo of all songs perfectly with the faster moments of the record seeing him able to express his solid playing, and he is able to provide fills that add another facet to the quartet's sound. Just like Cressey whose bass in Deep Red shines, York's slick playing ably follows along the bass sound and that continues along in the song and one might argue is his best performance on the album.
Another point l have to make which l mentioned earlier is the production. Will Yip's production sees every facet of the band's sound allowed to shine. There was never a time where l felt anything sounded off or clunky to the overall sound. I have a physical copy of this album and put this through my stereo speakers and it sounded absolutely awesome. But l am not a musician or a sound expert, so a more trained ear to music production may spot something l didn't.
To wrap up, l have no criticisms of this album. I love every second of it. It is a fair criticism that will come of me of giving this a 5, but the personal connection that l have forged with this album is very strong and as it's now 2 years old, l feel like l can justify a 5 rating. While my personal experiences have affected how l feel about this record. l believe that there is something for everyone to enjoy on here and l urge you to give it a try.
