May 18 : "Just Keep On Living in the Moment" - O. Wake (Brooklyn)

New Music / Freshly Written and Recently Released

ADJUSTING ATTITUDES

Brooklyn band "O. Wake" did a great show at Arlene's Grocery last week. The band played a lot of work from their new album, "Unfamiliar State", which was released this past January. Lots of different emotions and styles in the album. They all showcase mastermind Ofer Shouval's versatility in both writing and performing.

One of the recurring elements in the album is a consciousness or awareness about people's emotional well-being.

In fact shortly after the beginning of the album we're already making a trip to the therapists' office(s). A very spirited visit for the first part of the song, but then the visit turns south during the second part of the track. Here is that trip to the therapist. The title is "Riper Than Ripe" and is the second track on the album. Some brilliant lyrics in this album. Listen for an interesting saxophone solo that starts to sneak in between 2:53 and 3:11 on the clock :::

After the lyrics have ended, the saxophone in the last part of the track seems to turn the feeling back to be more positive (are we now again being more spirited?), but it leaves us not being sure how it all turns out. Does "Riper Than Ripe" refer to the work at the office, the relationship with the therapists, or both?

"Unfamiliar State" can mean various things. It can mean some new and unexpected song structures as we listen. It can also mean taking ourselves out of our comfort zone of safe, repetitive and sometimes toxic life habits and finding ourselves confronted with versions for ourselves that have greater potentials.

Some of the characters in the album have relationship complications. Are we breaking up? This won't even be a relationship; not getting off the ground because I'm "Not Your Type".

Many of the story lines in the songs involve a person's deciding how to look at life, what attitude to hold, what feeling to feel. After being confronted with these, some of the outcomes are unclear. In some of the songs there seems to be a pull in both directions, so that the decision is not easy and the process could prove to be tenuous. These feelings are intensified by the song structures which can sometimes be surprising and choppy.

THE FINAL THOUGHT

The way the album is laid out seems to be all building up to the last track, "Just Keep On Living In the Moment". This song is very solid and definite in what it means and what it says. Gone are the tenuous feelings, mixed emotions, or volatile expressions that occurred in some earlier parts of the album. In fact it seems to be an antidote to what some of the characters in the previous stories were experiencing.

So experience it for yourself.... Take a seat. .... Clear you mind. ... And meditate on these words as you listen to the track below. ... This is the final track. "Just Keep On Living in the Moment" :::

Instead of caving in
Instead of feeling left out
Instead of waiting for
A minute more
To walk out the door

Instead of being lost
Instead of counting up the costs
Instead of waking up
Instead of showing off
Instead of breaking up

Instead of saying something you regret
Instead of wanting to forget
Instead of making it
Instead of faking it
Instead of being let down

Keep on living in the moment
Just keep on living in the moment
Just keep on living for the moment

Instead of giving up

O. Wake doesn't have any other shows coming up in the next few weeks, but here's a click to their Facebook page where you can keep an eye on what they're doing ::: O. Wake on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

(pics are from band's Facebook page. quotation of lyrics used with artist's permission)