The album opens with “Under The Rose,” a somewhat contemplative number in which he asks, “If my whole life is a dream/Then who am I?” I love the way this track builds, particularly the work on percussion. And it features some beautiful work on violin. The song contains an interesting nod to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” – “So carry me down this stream/My whole life but a dream” – making us think of childhood, of innocence, and of our personal paths through life which began back in the time of nursery rhymes. It’s a wonderful opening track, despite the redundancy of the line “And I wandered aimlessly” (is there any other way to wander?). This song was released as a single, with an accompanying music video, many months ago. It is followed by “Orphic Hymn (To Mnemosyne),” which has an interesting, unusual vibe. This is one that Andrew Lentz did not write; it is, rather, the ancient poem set to music. And his vocal line does feel like it is coming from the past. This track is over quite soon, being only a minute and a half long. “Answer” also has a timeless quality, and features some nice work on strings. It is a perfect choice to follow “Orphic Hymn (To Mnemosyne),” the two tracks working so well together.
Andrew Lentz changes gears then with “When The Well Runs Dry,” which begins with percussion, and soon develops a cool, somewhat dark vibe, with just the right amount of fuzz to the guitar. Here are the opening lines: “My patience is slipping/I can’t see no helping hand/Hands still firmly gripping/I won’t follow your command.” He then asks, “But where we gonna be/When the well runs dry?” This song is full of lines that stand out to me, such as these: “When your days seem infinite/It’s easy to put off trying/But now I see the bottom/And the end I can’t deny.” Remember when we felt we had all the time in the world? Now it seems there are constant reminders that more time is behind us than ahead of us. Still, we fight that notion, don’t we? But whatever time we have, we are in charge of how we spend it. There are no answers coming from on high. There is no real authority. This track features some nice backing vocal work, plus some great touches on trumpet. This is one of my personal favorites.
“Here Comes The Flood” begins with some pretty work on guitar, having a contemplative air and soothing effect. So the first line caught me by surprise, “I rode the wave down to your grave.” That’s a line that grabs us, no question. I like the use of internal rhymes in the lyrics of this song. “You in your gown and thorny crown/I, the clown from the wrong side of town/I turned you on, but you turned me down.” This one also makes some great use of backing vocals. And it builds beautifully, reaching a different level toward the end. Then “Kafka On The Shore” begins on piano and has a somber tone. This is another song for which Andrew Lentz did not write the lyrics. The lyrics come from the book Kafka On The Shore, written by Haruki Murakima. I haven’t read the book, but apparently in the story this song is sung by a character named Miss Saeki. Interestingly, other artists have set these lyrics to music, including Eunbi Kim and Katsuhiko Yoshida. This rendition features some excellent work on strings.
“Always Greener” has some pop elements and energy, and features some good percussion work. There is a Shakespeare reference in this song, something I always appreciate. Andrew Lentz sings, “Well, heavy is the head that bears the crown,” a variation of Henry IV’s line “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown” from The Second Part Of King Henry The Fourth. I also like that electric guitar part in the second half. That’s followed by “Remember Me,” which contains these lines: “Now it seems it’s come to pass/The truth I thought at first would last/Turns out to be less than what remains.” Those lines stand out for me, particularly because of that idea of a truth that didn’t last, a line that gives us something to think about. The other thing I appreciate about that line is the play on “first” and “last.” There is also a somewhat haunting vibe to this song. Then “Light And Shadows” has a gentle, even soothing vibe as it starts, and Andrew sings, “There’s shadows moving on the wall/Don’t let it bother you.” The lines suggest an acceptance of darkness and an understanding that life presents its series of troubles and doubts. His vocal approach has a friendly, sympathetic quality. He’s come through it, and is imparting what wisdom he’s picked up, and without urgency or haste to his delivery. I love the whole vibe of this track.
“God/Willing” is an intriguing title for its use of the slash symbol, breaking up the idea of “God willing” as a single phrase. This one picks up in energy after the line “The light within me shining points the way.” It feels like we are on that journey with him, and the beat tells us we’ll be there soon. And what is the destination? Well, it’s home, of course. I’ve mentioned this before, but there is always something appealing in songs about going home. And here there is the idea that it is all within, both home and god. So it’s up to us how long the journey will take, after all. The album then concludes with “Love & Ignorance.” This one begins in a softer place, on acoustic guitar, and as he sings the first line, “Once you were my world,” we know that he’s going to be singing about the end of a relationship. Ah yes, youthful attraction, which is full of drama and intensity. We may look back on it fondly, even if it was foolish and fleeting. I love these lines: “And when the morning did come/We found the dream was ridiculous.” This track features some pretty work on violin. And Matt Patrick adds some really nice stuff on pedal steel. “But the light, it started to creep in/I’m feeling better now.”
CD Track List
- Under The Rose
- Orphic Hymn (To Mnemosyne)
- Answer
- When The Well Runs Dry
- Here Comes The Flood
- Kafka On The Shore
- Always Greener
- Remember Me
- Light And Shadows
- God/Willing
- Love & Ignorance
Breaking The Dam
is scheduled to be released on November 1, 2024. The CD release party was on October 11, 2024.
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