‘blessed & depressed’ by Whereafter is a powerful 13-track debut rock concept album that isn’t afraid reveal deep vulnerabilities in articulate ways. Full of emotion and introspective reflections, the album takes us through every intrusive thought our narrator could have in the form of a repetitive audio instructional manual.
These with emotion punctuated after them to help the message of each track stick. Each track either rips at you with this frenetic, almost burnt out energy that soon settles somewhat into something slightly calmer towards the end.
Moving, emotive and an awe-inspiring punch in the gut.
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‘blessed & depressed’: Track-by-Track
‘blessed & depressed’: ‘Let’s Talk’- ‘Wasting Away’
‘Let’s Talk’ is a spoken piece that sets the tone for the song that follows. It foreshadows the dark depths intrusive thoughts can take you before you’re dragged back upto soft silver-lining for a little respite. This before it ends on the hopeful(?) line that:
“…You are not alone…”.
‘Blind Heart’ is a loud rock track that rips at you, pulling you from the structure of the spoken piece from before and into the emotions these words ultimately trigger. This isn’t the last time the listener receives a punch in the gut. “…My mind refuses to allow my mind to rest…”.
The ripping guitar solo that follows a crescendo of overlapping voices is a definite emotional climax on the track.
Watch the music video for ‘Blind Heart’:
This is followed by ‘Uninvited Guest’, a track that reinforces this sense of structure that the album is attempting to establish. This while describing a subjective account of depressive episode that is moving and haunting, punctuated by distant percussion.
The track that punctuates the track’s emotion ‘Wasting Away’ is a cathartic track that moves through an almost tear-jerking spiral of emotion. All to describe in frustrating detail the anguish of intrusive thoughts that simply won’t go away.
“…Let it go, let it go…
…This won’t go away…
…Sometimes I am fine…
…Sometimes…”.
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‘blessed & depressed’: ‘Clarity’- ‘The Curse’
This explosive burst of emotion is ushers in the spoken word track ‘Clarity’, this puncuated by off-kelter rhythms and soft piano melodies. The track ends on an almost foreboding note with the lines:
“…These feelings do not define you.
Or do they?…”.
‘Who I Am’ takes on that foreboding note and runs with it, with loud, in-your-face urgency. The tempo of the song seems to fluctuate while the guitars take on a tremulous note, ripping with emotion. This while the narrator contemplates accepting and integrating these intrusions as a part of themselves in some way.
“…I should just give up and accept that this is who I am…”.
‘Familiar’ is a brighter spoken track, that highlights how familiar patterns can feel comfortable in the face of overwhelming change. These emotions are amplified in ‘Stuck On You’, a song that brings in rushing melodies that feel like a looping death knell. The song’s open, looping melodies make the album feel like its opening up, while the lyrics feel stuck in a loop of their own.
“…Stuck on you till the end of time…
…You’ve got me paralysed…you’ve got me trapped, I can’t escape…’.
The song’s loud soundscape ends on looping feedback that slows and slows before leading into ‘Battleground’. This track highlights that instinct to fight back against these thoughts, giving rise to attention that feels like further torment.
‘The Curse’ plays this out with a soundscape that seems to drag and rush, while distant voices overlap with closer ones to highlight this tension. It feels like the listener is wading through sludge and grime, somehow loud and unbearable with this chaos and pull.
This discomfort begins to slow down before settling into an unsettling, ringing chime that lingers.
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‘blessed & depressed’: ‘Saviour’- ‘You Are Not Alone (Broken Record)’
‘Saviour’ attempts to highlight this sense of soft optimism that is now shining through, but that has been peeking in since ‘Familiar’. It highlights how connecting with a loved one can help bring in this sense of comfort and peace, before ending on this touching note of gratitude at its end.
“…Not only do they help you to live,
They often become the reason you’re living…”.
This softness translates into the dulcet acoustic tones of ‘Crooked Line’, a song dedicated to the narrator’s loved one. The one who walks with them on a crooked road and who helps them feel less alone. The song is a sweet, calm, beautiful love-letter that feels warm with the comfort shared between two wayward lovers.
“…We walk a crooked line,
The straight path wasn’t for us…”.
The final track ‘You Are Not Alone (Broken Record)’, at first reflects the delicate optimism in the previous two tracks. “…(There are) brighter days ahead, you just have to believe…”. But this is shattered by the distorted sounds of an over-played, broken record that seems to drag us a back into tha pit of intrusive thoughts again.
From, “…you are not alone…” to “why can’t you just be happy?…”. The latter spoken with roughness and urgency that prickles like a punch in the gut.
Conclusion
‘blessed & depressed’ by Whereafter seems to successfully & succinctly articulate emotions that often feel nebulous, vast and pretty much unexplainable. Moving lyrics and a well-structured soundscape and narrative help the emotions punch where they do and linger where they don’t.
All this making for a moving, engaging and thought-provoking listen.
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‘blessed & depressed’ is out on the 21st February!
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