The Backseat Lovers have been known for the songs that remind you of your first love, the bad boy, the most uncontrollable and unruly time of your life. On October 28, their music underwent a transformation through their latest release, a 10-track album, “Waiting to Spill.”
These songs are made up of everything you’ve always wanted to say, including the instrumental lapses that can say it for you. Whether upbeat or slow and steady, these songs pair well with heartbreak and the dreadful feeling of getting older.
Barely a lyric is sung in the first song, “Silhouette.” Mostly instrumental, the haunting song contains few words yet says so much. Composed of only 26 words, the ballad says “Run while you still can / While you are still a silhouette of a man” before the sound of an exiting airplane is rushed through the audio.
These six minutes of expression are slow and tame until the middle of the song, where the instruments gain momentum and become quite chaotic.
To juxtapose the previous song, “Close Your Eyes” begins with sudden lyrics, asking, “Do you wanna be like your father?” Still slow and methodical, the rock song contains a continuous guitar riff, keeping balance behind the lyrics of a loving father.
Time slips away in this song with the lyrics, “Now the day has died / But it's too late to close your eyes.”
While the singer expresses the inevitable phenomenon of aging, they also recognize that life begins to slow down and dreams tend to end as “the dream is over / packed away / my life moving slower / oh I’d hate to get any older.”
The rock song sounds like a battle between 80’s classic rock and 2000’s alternative folk while ranging from emotions of rage to guilt.
Folk-inspired “Morning in the Aves” begins with an acoustic strum and the occasional piano key. With the sound of a pure heartbreak, you can hear the singer’s heartstrings pulling as he sings of memories.
To soothe himself, he sings, “Put your tapes in the VCR / Helps those days feel not so far behind you / Broke the looking glass / Didn't grow up too fast / Wish it all could last.”
“Growing/Dying” stutters to a start, seemingly unsure of the song’s own sound. Full of questions such as “Why does the wall insist I have my back against it?” and “Why don't you call?” the song is full of worries and unresolved issues.
A piano introduces “Words I Used,” a stereotypical breakup song turned emotional ballad admits, “I'm afraid there's no more room to stay / I'm afraid there's nothing left to say.” While finding words to say may be one of the most difficult tasks in history, this song explains how it feels to know you’re losing someone.
“Snowbank Blues” resembles what one could only call an “oldie.” The sad song almost sounds jolly like a grandfather is strumming along on his own guitar. An echo creates a homey atmosphere, inviting listeners to feel heartbroken too.
A car horn is what “Follow the Sound” begins with, leading to a piano and melodic voice singing, “Maybe while they're out / I'll let it out.” Going with the flow sounds upbeat in this song, while the lyrics detail what it feels like to have nothing left.
“Slowing Down” resembles the guilt of feeling like the one who drags everyone else down. Pressure and loneliness are employed as noises, getting louder and louder.
“Paranoia is painted on the membrane of my mind” explains overcoming pain does not erase the remnants of memories in the song “Know Your Name.”
The album’s final song says what all the other songs make listeners feel: “Viciously Lonely.” The slowest of them all, the song stands for loneliness. With no one around and nothing to say, the song declares, “As my youth begins to expire / I'll slowly put a little less wood on the fire.”
