Recommended Tracks: That Feeling, Glutton, Float
Artists You May Like: COIN, Knox Hamilton, Walk the Moon
For anyone who is having trouble letting go of something, whether it be a person or a feeling, HARBOUR is here to help you move on. The pop rock band understands where you are coming from and have compiled their experiences with the matter on their third effort, Thoughts on Letting Go. It is charming and sincere, providing insight and understanding to the things in life that we find most valuable. It can be hard to let go of your past, but it is not impossible.
After the brief marvel of an intro, “To Find Yourself,” we are whisked away to the tropical paradise of “Radiate (Like You Do).” Bright guitars and soothing descriptions, such as “trees that change colors” and “blissful vibrations,” make the track warm and inviting. There is no mistaking that this is HARBOUR; their incandescent sound is unmatched.
While it is evident that HARBOUR can produce summery tracks, they are also masters at making unpleasant situations sound worry-free. For instance, “Can’t Repeat It” and “Easy” deal with self-deprecation and relationship struggles, but if you did not focus on the lyrics, you would assume that these were happy-go-lucky tracks. The percussive sounds and rhythmic beats, along with Ryan’s uninhibited vocals, bring out a playful side that exists underneath the lyrics. By the end of those tracks, you can’t help but feel light and free.
Two of my favorite tracks on the album are “That Feeling” and “Float.” While both tracks focus on love, they touch on different aspects of love. On “That Feeling,” we hear about that feeling. You can’t really describe it, but when you are around that certain someone, a specific feeling overcomes you and you know that you’re really in love. Out of the two tracks, “Float” is more of your “typical” love song, as it has a slow dance kind of vibe. As you can guess from the title, it describes the weightless feeling you have with your significant other and how the two of you can just float through life together.
One of the more unusual tracks is “Keep Up.” For this track, HARBOUR departs from their summery ways and taps into an edgier sound. The rock vibes are more pronounced and the choruses are more straightforward. It is such an unexpected track from the guys, but it makes for a nice surprise on the album; it keeps things fresh!
The title track occurs towards the end of the album. It starts out very simple and pure, resembling a lullaby. Ryan sings, “Reach out and take my hand / Falling out of touch as an old man / Don’t wake me from this dream / Want to be asleep while I weep.” Those are the majority of the lyrics on this track, as it is very brief. After the lyrics, we are taken into more of a jam session, with soothing guitar riffs playing us out to the end of the track. The track is very thought-provoking and makes us have more thoughts about letting go than answers.
The album closes with a more enhanced version of the intro. It literally ends on a weird note, not providing us with as much closure as we anticipated. Reflective of the title, “Think for Yourself,” is open-ended and reminds us to take what we can from the stories we just heard, but stay true to ourselves.
Overall, Thoughts on Letting Go is a beautiful collection of tracks that provide a sense of comfort and relaxation. It is perfect for when you need to “get away from it all” and acquire some much-needed alone time. As soon as you finish the album, you will want to go back and get lost in its colors all over again.
You can stream Thoughts on Letting Go on sites like Apple Music and Spotify.
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