Emily Toomey
Connector Staff
I the Mighty have just released their third studio album titled “Where the Mind Wants to Go/ Where You Let It Go.” This album closely resembles their first album, “Satori,” with its progressive style riffs and clean vocals. This album has experimented with their traditional sound by trying to slow things down a bit. Their new and improved sound has certainly worked in their favor. The fast-paced instrumentals with the soft but beautiful vocals allow the album to stand out in a unique way.
One of the first singles to be released, “Silver Tongues,” features Dance Gavin Dance’s clean vocalist Tilian Pearson. This track includes one of the longest features for a song, which is why it is one of the better tracks on the album. Pearson dives right into the song, singing, “They say don’t bother with another, they try to pull me under.”
The chorus is where the magic really begins. The track picks up instrumentally while vocalist Brent Walsh sings, “I’m not falling off, I’m not getting old. They say I’ll come back with something bitter, but I’ll make it so much better.” The chorus of the track is certainly the catchiest part as the instrumentals become more upbeat, and Walsh’s voice begins to take control of the track. The balance between Pearson’s soft voice and Walsh’s powerful voice create a unique recipe for the track to succeed as a stand-out on the album.
The opening track “Degenerates” starts the album off at a slower pace to showcase Walsh’s lyrical talent. The second verse has a sense of sadness to it as he softly sings, “And I breathe in the scent of coffee from the kitchen. I hear the laughter spilling from the other room, and so I drag my body up and join the living.”
The chorus is where the song picks up the tempo, but the lyrics become louder and more pronounced. His voice becomes more powerful as he sings, “And if you’re honest with yourself, I bet it’s painful. You and I are far less different than they say. So where do you fit in?” The ending bridge keeps with the upbeat to help keep the powerfulness to the track. The tempo is remaining fast and his vocals keep control over the tempo while still remaining in unison together.
The single “Where the Mind Wants to Go” stands out as one of the more fast-paced songs on the record. The lyrics provide an emotional connection for the listener as he sings, “I’m just being honest, I need time to think. You said let’s take a week so we can figure out what we should be.” Lyrically, the track is very emotional, and by the chorus he is singing, “I’d like to see how it feels with both my eyes closed and one foot over the edge. I don’t wanna feel this anymore.”
The end of the song transitions to a sense of relief for the singer. He powerfully sings, “Well I just want to be happy regardless. I will love you even if we’re just energy.” His voice toward the end is almost like an echoing scream in an empty room to assert the emotion he is feeling.
Overall, this record succeeds as one of their more diverse records. The use of fast and slow tempos throughout certainly worked in their favor. This track has a unique blend of fast and slow-paced songs that can appeal to a wide range of listeners. This record may be different from their other releases, but still provides a sense of familiarity for the listener.
I the Mighty will be stopping in Boston for their tour with Hail The Sun to promote this album on Nov. 4.
