AJR – What No One’s Thinking

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Shortly after the release of their excellent fifth studio album, The Maybe Man, the three brothers that make up experimental pop band AJR were dealing with some writer’s block. It’s an understandable feeling for an artist that has quickly pumped out so many noteworthy radio hits over their career. What No One’s Thinking is the result of what came out of these sessions after the band wrapped up their comprehensive and ambitious arena tour in support of their previous LP, and is a nod to AJR’s third EP of What Everyone’s Thinking. The sound that comes through the speakers on this latest effort is a bit of a departure from the slick experimental pop that the band has been come to be known for. Thematically, the EP tackles the topics of loss, fractured relationships, and saying goodbye to those we never thought we’d have to. While it’s great that AJR are trying new things at this stage of their career, it’s hard to not feel like a key element of their brand of music is missing on this EP.

The record kicks off with a gentle acoustic guitar on “The Plane That Never Lands” that finds lead vocalist Jack Met lamenting over the boredom of traveling alone. As the track unfolds, Jack mentions about the state of his romantic relationship as he offers, “If you’re asleep when I get home / You won’t have to say out loud / What I know I’m gonna hear / You don’t really wanna marry me, do you, dear? / Do you, dear?” It’s a crushing admission, and the backing band takes a brief reprieve to let these weighty lyrics sink in. “A Dog Song” gets somewhat back to the synth-laden pop that AJR are best at in the beginning stages of the track, but the song fades back into a ukulele-driven song structure, while the band gradually adds in some backing strings and some additional samples to round out the atmosphere found here. The song, which is largely from the perspective of the pet, ends on a somber note of, “Last night I found you / Staring at the ceiling, alone in your room / Though I don’t know what it is / You’re going through / Buddy, wherever, you’re going, I’m going too,” as the dog ponders why their owner isn’t their usual cheery self. It’s a heart-warming take on the connection we all feel to our household pets, and it plays off as a nice reminder of this type of relationship.

Lead single, “Betty”, dives further into Jack’s relationship status as he sings in the second verse of, “Next time you see your folks at dinner / Just ask your mom to please / Stop pointing at your finger / I know she calls me “son” now / Your dad, he calls me “kid” / I’m sorry, I’m not man enough / To face ’em both like this.” It becomes readily apparent that this romantic partnership may be running its course. “I’m Sorry You Went Crazy” follows with a piano-laced ballad as Jack reflects on his past year, as he croons, “I turned twenty-nine over the weekend / You know you’re not blocked, you still can call / Did you hear we played The Garden? / And I got my own apartment / Are you in touch with anyone at all? / I bet you never ever sit in silence / You’ll try therapists till one tells you you’re great / Or else it might get clear though / That you’re not the fucking hero / And if you called, I don’t know what I’d say.” The song is heartfelt and tragic, but it feels like a stunning departure from the type of music AJR fans have grown so accustomed to.

Everything builds up to “The Big Goodbye” that begins with a sample of an auctioneer spewing off some dollar values, before the band slows down the sample into a sweeping orchestral part that finally returns AJR to their trademark sound. It ends up being one of the better songs in their catalog to date, and makes sense for the song to be current single in support of What No One’s Thinking. The band are at their best when they lean into this type of sound and approach their songwriting thru this lens. After such a momentous year, artistically, with what I consider the band’s best work in The Maybe Man, this latest EP ends up feeling like a small step back from the quality of music that AJR have been crafting. They have the talent to bounce back stronger than ever, and I know they will.

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