Language & Perspective, Bad Suns’ debut album, is filled with emotive and powerful lyrics (Andrea Garcia/The Fordham Ram).
By Margarita Artoglou
Way back in high school, I took a psychology class. I distinctly remember one of my favorite chapters of my textbook, entitled “Language and Perspective.” The chapter discussed how language and perspective shape our mental state and the way we think and view the world around us.
The first album from the Los Angeles-based band Bad Suns, which shares a title with that psychology book chapter, does a good job of reflecting on life and how we think and feel. The album name is pulled from a lyric from the album’s first song, “Matthew James,” (“Language and perspective shape the way we live/Some things are hard to take and even harder to give,”) and is particularly indicative of the reflective nature of the album as a whole.
Typical Bad Suns lyrics resemble someone’s inward thoughts and philosophical musings, which is one of the things that is so alluring about this album. Every song has a relaxing, chill sound, with lyrics that provide insightful thoughts about life, identity and one’s mental state.
For example, “Transpose,” one of my favorite songs on the album, is a poetic description of the kind of anxiety that keeps one awake throughout the night and is topped off with an extremely catchy guitar riff that takes the edge off the gravity of the topic. The unique thing about the Bad Suns’ take on anxiety is that it does not make me feel anxious — instead, it provides an introspective point of view that calms me on my sleepless nights.
Another great song off the album “Salt,” was inspired by a friend of the band who was struggling with gender identity. The accompanying music video also showcases the heart-wrenching journey of a transgender person throughout their transition. The song itself, however, is an ode to anyone dealing with an identity crisis of any kind.
When I listen to Language & Perspective, I do not feel somber or solemn. This is due in part to the upbeat nature of every song. There are no slow ballads or powerful vocals for Bad Suns. Their insightful lyrics are always delivered alongside up-tempo melodies, exciting guitar riffs and attention-grabbing baselines.
In addition, the lyrics on Language & Perspective while thought-provoking, can be vague and open for interpretation, making its tracks accessible and applicable to any situation. Bad Suns have gotten me through a lot of stressful circumstances, from finals week to a breakup, but I still find their music appealing during cheerful times.
The album definitely puts me in a thoughtful mood, but the band’s sound reminds me of the sun setting on a day of sitting on the beach and doing nothing but looking at the waves. I come away from Language & Perspective feeling calm, but reflective. Bad Suns sheds light (no pun intended) on the things running around in your brain and reminds you that it is okay to be caught up in your own head, at least for a little while.
However, the band does not try to make their listeners feel with them. Instead, they just want them to listen to what they think and form their own thoughts about stuff.
In my opinion, Bad Suns do a great job of telling us how they see the world with wonderfully lyrical language and perspective.
