Tag: Wait for Love

1652 Days

Pianos Become the Teeth released their fifth studio album Drift this Friday to unremarkable fanfare. It’s been over four and a half years since their last record Wait for Love appeared in equally unassuming fashion.

This is not a criticism of Pianos but a sad commentary on their work going mostly unnoticed within their own community.

Where is WashedUp Emo? Where is “The Wave” these days?

Along with Touché Amoré, Pianos firmly remain one of the best, still doing it, from the revival and wave scenes. Fifteen years onward they continue topping themselves with each release.

So what happened during the 1652 days between Wait for Love and Drift? Pianos almost broke up after scrapping their follow-up album but found new life and purpose during the pandemic.

Crazy to think there’s a whole other Pianos album out there on a hard-drive but that’s a blog for another day. This occasion celebrates Drift and the 1652 days that came before it. Where was I on February 16th 2018? Well I was still in San Diego working for fledgling finance company I won’t name but they no longer exist under their original name and were investigated by the FBI.

February 16th also happened to be my last day at this company before moving on to an actual career opportunity that helped me get to where I am today as a junior project manager.

I still remember my exit interview with this passive aggressive HR person. “So I see you’re making a career change?” This statement pretty much defined my experience there, but I happily moved on. I knew I had found a place that gave employees so many opportunities if they were just willing to take advantage of it.

I was so fucking ready to prove myself. I spent the weekend and following President’s Day Monday getting myself mentally relaxed and ready to work. The next 1600 days would be the most life altering days of my life.

Today I’m engaged (finally), living where the sky looks like Toy Story clouds, and traveling regularly. I’m fortunate. Just lucky to be here. Those 1600 days were not easy. There were many moments I wanted to quit on the career path I’d taken. I had genuine doubts about continuing to date someone on the opposite side of the country.

Perhaps Pianos went through similar stages.

Once we acknowledge our thoughts of uncertainty, and swim with those feelings briefly, then we can understand the consequences of the decision(s) we might make.

Choosing to continue pursuing my now fiancé and endure through difficult situations at work paid off over the next two years. The coming pandemic only justified those decisions. The lockdown in general just fast tracked the eventual outcome to relocate my life and career to Texas. Scott Galloway’s Post Corona cerebrates effectively this phenomenon and delineates how the pandemic pushed global trends by ten years in a matter of months.

The lockdown drove Pianos back into the studio to redeem their fizzled follow-up to Wait for Love (again, I still wanna hear it). Drift zags in the opposite direction from its predecessor’s reach towards radianence in its musical arrangements and dare I say tenderness for life and all it encompasses in its emotion and lyrics.

“Out of Sight” sets the tone immediately with it’s quiet and deliberate pace. Some have called this record dark. I prefer daybreaking and more textured than any other record. The early hours before dawn are usually the quietest until the sun finally beams over the horizon. “Genevieve” beautifully pulls you into serenity until the band illuminates into one of the few explosive moments of the album.

“Easy” by far is my favorite track. 1652 days ago I’m certain Pianos were not capable of communicating these kinds of lyrics without any sonic grandiosity. They’ve been trying to get here since “Hiding” almost ten years ago. It would be easy to presume they’re restraining themselves but that’s just not the case.

“The Days” wonderfully follows up subtly with vivacious drum and bass, and loud axe and vocals. “Hate Chase” effectively operates the same way in the vain of The Lack Long After, just without screaming.

This whole record seeks serenity but doesn’t ignore who its creators are. Pianos still love loud moments but it’s not all they are anymore. Each song flows smoothly from one to the next. The album’s run time lingers slightly but bows out just before things begin to drag.

“Buckley” conveys the ideal summation in experiencing Drift and what the band tried articulate musically. Only the drums give any kind of accent or punch to the track. Everything else only serves to texture the landscape, until exhilaration unleashes through like eureka. Emotionally blows your hair back.

Who knows what Piano’s scrapped record would have been like, once again, would love to hear it, but shelving it proved right. Couldn’t be better than Drift. No other Pianos record is, except maybe the next one.

I don’t know what the next 1652 days holds, for me or them, but whenever the next Pianos Become The Teeth project is I’ll be there ready.

Photo Credit: Micah E. Wood

Living Through

Living Through

If you don’t already know I’m transitioning into a new job. After 2 years at the old place I found a new home and opportunity to grow professionally. The last two years were so formative for me. I would not have been ready to take on this new challenge without these experiences. While simultaneously nervous and excited I’m reminiscing about where I’ve been and where I’m going now.

Funny that Pianos Become The Teeth put out Wait for Love on my last day. It’s a record about the wonderful people in our lives. I met so many wonderful people at the last job, some I hope to remain friends with forever. This new job will introduce me to whole new world of people I hope to connect with. I can take the lessons I’ve learned about working relationships and foster new and strong connections.

Over the last few years I’ve found more self happiness in redefining myself mentally and physically. Setting goals and making self agreements have become tools to attaining happiness. Learning the only person who can make you happy is yourself was life changing event. Since then I’ve achieved in so many areas I wanted to succeed in.

Where I’m still struggling however remains in romance. Ironically I should learn to Wait for Love but I’m a bit impatient. I’ve had moments of courtship and that’s done a lot for my self-esteem and confidence in myself, yet I haven’t found the connection I’m looking for.

Part of it, I think, has to do with my priorities. Building a career is the main focus and goal in my mind. I’m driven to ascend within an organization. Much like a romantic relationship I want recognition. Covet what I bring to the organization. Still it’s not enough to just be on my own. I can accept being alone but that doesn’t fulfill me.

Work, friends, family, and living my way is enough, but it doesn’t complete me.

I want a relationship to happen organically but I want it to happen so badly. Surely this is part of the problem. Wanting to meet someone now but unwilling to wait. “Dry Spells” from Wait for Love resonants with me. Kyle Durfey talks about infatuation with someone and wanting more than whatever he’s referencing.

I find myself in the same enigma. I’ve met a couple of people and wanted more of their time. More of their affection. I can’t tell if it was there or not but I wanted it.

As of this moment I’ve only met one person in the last two years who captured my attention away from work, my faults, and everything else on my mind. She took me. Sometimes I don’t have the words to fully describe my emotions so I use songs. “Love on Repeat” sounds in music and words how she made me feel for a moment. I’m still looking for that sensation again, and I haven’t it felt since.

Nothing’s to blame and maybe that’s the point. Wait for the right person at the precise moment. One of my greatest fears in life is missing that opportunity. Fail in the moment. Perhaps if I can learn to let go of those fears this will become easier and weigh less on my mind.

I wanna end this by just pointing out a conversation I heard about love. These women talked about wanting romance, intimacy, and courtship, not sex necessarily. I want all of those things too, especially courtship.

Maybe it’s just American society but in this culture it seems nothing’s going to happen unless I make a move and attempt to court someone. I’ve come to accept that despite having some reservations about it. In Denmark, where I’m from, woman seek men just the same as men. Criticize me if you wish but that’s exactly what I want.

It’s nothing to expect but if someone proved just how much they wanted me by their actions she’d have my heart. That’s what I want simply put. To be wanted as much and in the same way as I want them. Recognizing that is easy. What’s hard is having the patience to let that happen organically. Waiting for love to happen.