The Dangerous Summer - Gravity (June 21, 2024) • Page 18

Mother Nature definitely peaks halfway in but the second half has some great songs

 

I definitely listen to the first half of Mother Nature more, but I had some Reach for the Sun or War Paint style late-night drives that summer, and the last four tracks really clicked. "Better Light" especially.

 

The last three songs of Mother Nature might be the best part, imo. It’s close between that stretch and Virginia through Where Were You When the Sky Opened Up

 

I like Better Light and the title track.

It Is Real, Violent Red and the closer are my bottom 3 from the record

 

Probably Way Down, It Is Real, and Violent Red for me. All really good songs, though

 

I wouldn’t get rid of Better Light or Consequence of living necessarily, but the fact that Mother Nature doesn’t close with “Mother Nature” is criminal.

Ending the record on that “to let that change you” refrain should have been a no-brainer.

 

I would swap the title track with Better Light as the penultimate track, but Consequence of Living is a perfect closer. “Watching the pictures from my memories breathe again” is such a gorgeous line and really serves as a thesis statement of the whole album. What an incredible record

 

That part of the song is soooo good

 

I like the whole album quite a bit so you’re not alone haha

I love the end when he sings, “and it feels like I’m almost there now!”

 

New album is good. Better than the last one, which sounded unfinished. I like that they tried some new things. That last track especially is cool and different for them.

 

SMH, Mother Nature gets at least a half a letter grade worse if you cut “Better Light,” a song that shows off a completely new side of them and gives the necessary “drop the tempo in the penultimate track” momentum shift that makes that three-track run at the end really sing. They’re not always great at sequencing, but they made all the right decisions there.

(Also, of those three songs, “Mother Nature” would be the least satisfying closer. Sorry @Ben Lee.)

 

I adore Better Light, one of my favourites on the album actually

 

Are we sure it’s a guitar playing the lead line in With My Pen? Kinda sounds like a clarinet mic’d up and ran through a metal zone pedal. Or maybe one of those plastic song flutes they make you play in fifth grade.

 

oh I definitely wouldn’t cut it, I worded that poorly. I just think it would be cool to have it switch places with the title track. Then it would serve as sort of a reprieve after Violent Red, and then to have Mother Nature’s “you have to let that change you…” flow into the closer would be really powerful. It’s an excellently sequenced album as is though.

 

I just think those two songs work really, really well as a pair. "Mother Nature" doesn't really have a decisive conclusion to me, because it flows so well into "Better Light." And "Better Light" doesn't hit as hard if it doesn't immediately follow the bigger, grander title track. And then having the "Counting the days I wanna fall in love with you" refrain lead into that anthemic guitar opening of "Consequence of Living." I love that whole stretch. Reach and War Paint both have better standalone closers, but I think the way those three songs work together ends Mother Nature on a note that is every bit as satisfying as those two albums.

 

Bingo that part is a highlight of the whole album for me. Also I do not speak Spanish so the pronunciation in the chorus doesn't bug me like I think it does others.
(I also like the riff on Someday, shame about all the rest)

 

Never Feel Alone is in a league of its own and that is not a knock on any of their other closers including Infinite which is one of their absolute best songs.

 

What's everyone's take on Clouds in my Eyes? It's growing on me but feels like it's not quite there when it comes to what he was going for..

 

I felt the same then I caught myself humming the chorus. It really grew on me. Love it when the drums kick it.

 

I feel like Waves is monumentally underrated as a closer

 

The lead guitar on Dream sounds like something off of Dusk And Summer to me.

 

Haven’t been able to listen to this yet, but it’s a shame after how much I liked the singles that the consensus seems to be that this is a similar case to Coming Home, quality wise

Still, we’ll always have those first two and Mother Nature.

 

In my opinion it definitely takes about 3 listens for it to click. And I've found those type of albums have the most staying power. The singles are more immediate

 

I agree, it's probably one of my top 10-15 album closers.

 

My ranking

RFTS
War Paint

Mother Nature
Gravity (Really growing on me with every listen)
Self-Titled
Golden Record

Coming Home

not sure if this will pass MN in the end but I’m really enjoying it.