by Jade Winings (@jadewinings)
Moths Strapped to Each Other’s Backs exudes the consequences of stagnant personal growth as it seems everyone else around you is living a linear timeline of events beside your own timeline of chaos. Fans of bands similar to Fib, They Are Gutting A Body of Water, Keep, and niche 90’s alternative will be captivated by the fuzz and sludge of Bedridden.
The increasingly messy events described in the album begins with the first track “Gummy.” The scene is set with guitar distortion paired with Jack Riley’s (vocals/guitar) admittance of being under the influence of THC and MDMA as he tries to softly reject the advances of a co-worker. Attempting to do the right thing without offending someone is tough enough but the euphoric haze of substances can create a proper moral challenge. Regardless of what choice one would make in this awkward scenario, the person most likely leaves feeling guilty as either decision was made in a moment of self sabotage.
Continuing a relationship can be even more exhausting than ending one, something we can hear portrayed within “Philadelphia, Get Me Through.” Living in a city can be a lonely experience and begins to feel lonelier without the person you want to stay in love with once the band-aid of substances begins to slip off. “Gummy” leaves us on a cliff hanger of being unsure how we continue commitment to toxicity.
Power chords and self awareness ensues throughout the tracks and manifests into further regret once the character in the story begins to execute change with action. “Snare” is a harsh example of this gut wrenching clarity of noticing how poor decisions and attitude have shaped relationships around you without much notice to start. The song could be said to be one of the more uncomfortable tracks with the description of the attempt not to hate yourself in a room full of tension you created amongst trying to prove you’re bettering yourself.
Moths Strapped To Each Other’s Backs has a theme of anticipating specific events in life you expect to finally be happy in. Whether you are applying for a job, graduating college, or the birth of a child, putting a timestamp on happiness will never fail to let you down. Ending track “Ring Size” exemplifies this pressure of a seemingly unobtainable end goal you are feeling left out of such as marriage, which society has defined as a loophole to eternal happiness. Downing the tempo and increasing lighter notes, “Ring Size” concludes the album with a yearning perspective instead of self-loathing, giving us hope for personal growth.
Moths Strapped to Each Other's Backs reminds us of the importance of feeling things before they pass and the perseverance of defining our own path instead of staying depressed by thinking we don’t deserve anything more. Relatable or not, the albums’ honesty and sharp production of the tracks are hard not to listen to on full volume.