8/10

Definitely an odd pick for me, but an album I tend to thoroughly enjoy during the summertime. I'm not sure if it's a common thing, but I have certain albums and songs I can't listen to during certain times of the year, or even times of the day. It's an odd thing. Pebble Brain feels like an album to listen to while on a roadtrip, preferrably with a handful of friends and very shoddily made plans to go "somewhere different." It feels like being a young adult and enjoying your newfound freedom and fresh spending money from your first job, or the way you seem to remember it when you're 28 and stuck in a job where you don't particularly know what you're doing or where you're going. It was a lovely experience the first time I listened to it, and it's a lovely experience now as well.

Favorite Tracks - The Fall, It's All Futile! It's All Pointless!

Something about this song takes me back to years ago, as a teenager finally realizing what was to come. There was more life ahead of me than I could ever realize, and it was honestly terrifying. And, even more oddly, it seemed I was the only one even thinking about it. That part scared me the most. The song itself is a critique of wealth, the needless desire to buy and buy and never end up actually having anything in the end. The line between the middle class and the high class seems to be growing thicker and thicker with every day, and all anyone on the lower side of the line can do is sit and stare, hoping the wealthy realize what they've got before they die off like the rest of us. It really takes a few listens to properly feel the song, from the slow rising between every verse and the slight burst of worry in the chorus, all the way to the panicked speech of a bridge, practically begging the world to look upon what they so conveniently seem to ignore. It's a very strong statement without sounding almost kitschy, where so many songs seem to fall flat and make their message all too obvious to the point where it seems almost like a joke. The rising volume continues through the entire song and really brings you along with it, the bridge has always given me goosebumps and the long pauses after it leave the listener on the edge of their seat, waiting for the next moment. It's a truly well crafted song that has lots of replayability and more emotion than I can describe here.

On the other side of personal experiences, It's All Futile makes me really think about my current life as a young adult. Trying not to go insane. It builds a juxtaposition between the singer and the "you" of the song, the other person who seems to only want to do absolutely nothing with their life. Metaphorical or not, the referred to person in the song is far too relatable for just about any listener. Especially me. It has the strong feeling of someone who made a friend or got into a relationship early on in life, only to realize that partner of theirs has no intent to grow up and become an adult with them. It's the heartbreak and sadness and finally, acceptance and refusal to back down. They may never ever leave your mind, and they may stay a memory forever, but in the end it is more important to save yourself rather than falling down to save someone who chooses not to improve. The song itself is a bouncy and fun instrumental, almost tricking the listener into thinking it's going to be an upbeat song. It's a nice contrast to the lyrics that are simply impossible to ignore, with the way they nearly overpower the instrumental and even fight over it at times, trying to drive home that point of refusal and acceptance. Of all the times I've listened to it, it never seems to lose the power it once had on me.

Perfume - Least Favorite Track

It feels unfair to choose this song as my least favorite, as it definitely comes from a spot of satire. It's a feeling everyone has had before - watching someone you aren't quite over fall in love with someone else. The song feels even extra satirical as the singer remarks on his own ex still being on his mind, and yet he's still stuck on the girl who came after her. The instrumental itself feels just slightly weaker than those of the other songs, though it has some extremely interesting instrument choices. The chorus and verses blend together just a bit too much for my taste, but I still let it play all the way through when I'm listening to the album. It's a part of the entire experience.

As an album with only 7 songs and a runtime of merely 23 minutes, Pebble Brain is a very good listen on any longer than usual car ride or moment of boredom. It's a good experience that has no real time when you should experience it, unlike many other albums. It's an "on a whim" album, as it were. A lovely work of art, with lots of love and care put into it that proves that even in a very broken and scared world, there can still be art that makes people think and smile and dance even in the darkest of situations. I wish I could give this album a higher rating once again, but as this is a biased and personal review, I'm just going off of my heart. 8/10 feels like a fair, but not too overblown or hyped up rating. I'm very eager for the next release from this band.