Walk the Moon Releases New Album
On December 2, 2014, Walk the Moon released their album, Talking is Hard to an audience of eager indie pop/rock fans. Walk the Moon’s most recent album resonates with a generation that seeks communication through artful dialogues. The band perfects this art by addressing social issues without fear or apology. The creative use of percussion, guitar riffs, and stylized lyrics creates a kaleidoscope of sound that provokes a reaction in the listener that transcends mere melodic recognition.
The four-man band that formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2010 achieved success from their energetic self-entitled album, WALK THE MOON in June 2012. Their listening audience grew as their contagious, youthful spunk infected the hearts of a generation not only eager to ask questions, but also eager to dance off the uncertainty of life by way of creative percussion lines and poetic lyricism.
The new album begins with lead singer, Nicholas Petricca’s distinguishable falsetto voice ushering his modern audience into a discussion on the timeless topic of race in culture. The song, Different Colors, depicts a celebration of differences expressed through a simple, upbeat melody reminiscent of a positive protest saying, “Come on lovers/come on haters/tonight we raise the fire/cause when people get to dancing/they forget about taking sides.” The song explores the healing powers of music and dance on topics that have plagued society for centuries.
The theme of curative dance first appeared when the band released their single, Shut up and Dance on September 9, 2014. The carefree dance anthem satisfied widespread anticipation for the release and provided an effective precursor for the album. The song highlights the popular theme of relationships that many artists attempt to capture. However, the vulnerable, honest approach that the band takes creates a credible framework for listeners to relate to. The untamed pop sound and metaphorical interpretations of relationships emerge clearly in the song, Avalanche, in which drummer Sean Waugaman keeps the listener dancing while Petricca provokes introspection through imagery. The song creatively tells the story of one look causing an avalanche to drop in the heart of a young romantic. Although the song idealizes love at first sight, the catchy chorus prompts the listener to give in to the beat and embrace the clichéd feelings that even the most rational thinker experiences.
Fortunately, the band’s interpretation of romantic expression is not limited to clichés. The song Portugal depicts the complexities of relationships as a part of growing up. Petricca sings, “What you don’t know now one day you’ll learn/’Cause growing up is a heavy leaf to turn.” The honesty of uncertainty manifests itself in the raw emotion that the band conveys through a spoken portion of the song that encourages thanksgiving amidst the unknown outcomes of life, love, and personal circumstance.
The biggest surprise of the album arrives at the fourth track entitled, Up 2 You. The song begins with synthesizer and bass, but it transitions to a heavy rock and roll chorus that catches the listener off guard. The chorus shouts, “It’s up to you” at a young person who has blamed the world for all his problems and neglects the importance of personal change. The tone of the album changes at this point from celebration to instruction. The band feels responsible to educate their peers about lessons they have learned as a band and as individuals. The harsh song effectively makes its point to get the attention of the listener in an effort to guide the listener into the album’s final stage of optimism for the future.
The final song, Aquaman, ends the album with a ballad depicting a nervous man who stands at the edge of a diving board questioning whether he should dive into the water. He decides a minute into to the song, “So here we go, head first with no regrets.” He knows it won’t be easy as he sings, “You gotta risk your neck/but know in your heart it will be worth it.” The image does not sugar-coat relationships, but it accurately portrays the dichotomy of fear and hope that exists in the daily process of taking daily life “one breath, after another.” In this album the band finds new ways to play with their sound by implementing synthesizer, percussion, guitar, and powerful lyrics. This combination creates a provocative, yet fun listening experience for connoisseurs of music who hunger for innovative sound that inspires endless dance moves and meaningful reflection.
The concept of the From Islands to Cathedrals tour is to walk the audience through the entire story of Tenth Avenue North and their music. “Starting real stripped down we will add band members and instruments building bigger and bigger as the story is told,” explained Donehey. Tenth Ave.’s four albums are linear and inform each other in meaningful, philosophical ways. The first album is a call to the Gospel. The next two albums encourage Christians to engage their struggles honestly and courageously and to help each other through life. In Islands, which is a companion of the upcoming full length album, Cathedrals, Tenth Avenue North discusses the ways Christians isolate themselves from community; the last track of the EP, “Just Getting By” speaks about living in an increasingly digitally influenced world. The focus of the music then shifts from isolation to the goodness and importance of being in community with one another. Donehey explained, “Once we become a community we become a place of sanctuary. We no longer have to wait for a sacred space or vocation. We make our vocations sacred. We make every place we walk into sacred because the Spirit of God walks with us wherever we go.” Tenth Avenue North has a distinctly Christ-centered, authentic, uplifting approach to music that a lot of people really enjoy.
While the campus has waited expectantly for this great performance there has been a flood of activity behind the scenes among Houghton College students and faculty working to make the concert possible. Months of planning and detailing involving many offices has lead up to this Saturday’s performance. However, tomorrow the band itself will mainly be supported by Houghton College’s student audio tech team. Professor Jackson who oversees the team said, “Our job as a college and as a tech team is to make the band’s job as easy as possible- that is, to able to minister that night. We are able to do the work of Christ by helping bands like Tenth Avenue North be better musicianaries. I can’t be successful in my job unless the team comes through and the team always comes through.” Concerts like this Saturday’s are not only a chance for the campus to experience meaningful worship, but also an opportunity for many in the student body to serve alongside a successful worship band to achieve a high goal.