Nine Songs. Nine puzzle pieces that blend into an immersive symphony of existential longing. In the veins of this album courses a raw energy, one that fuels the minds of millions of people worldwide, dealing with life’s adversity. Rattigan shares insights into facets of life, sharing his experiences in emotion. The collective resonance of these songs truly encapsulates the shared human experience. This album is sure to catch all intelligent lifeforms off guard.
“Current Joys”, formally known as “TELE/VISIONS” was created by Singer/Songwriter Nick Rattigan in 2011, Current Joys and this new artist quickly gained a following in the indie-pop music culture. The many hidden treasures of music, Indie, and its subcategories of music like “Shoegaze” and “Slowcore” are slowly being discovered with the help of Rattigan and many other artists. “Slowcore” is a subgenre of indie pop characterized by slow tempos, minimalist and atmospheric instrumentals, and subdued and emotional lyrics. Its sibling genre, “Shoegaze” was coined through its ethereal mixture of indiscernible vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volume. Similar artists in these categories include “TV Girl,” “The Smiths” and “Pinegrove.”
“Become the Warm Jets” is one of my all-time favorite tracks in this particular genre of music, and definitely on this album. The song opens with an organ-like guitar melody. Simple, yet effective. In the lyrics, Rattigan portrays a beautiful longing for a better time, He describes hearing a familiar old song, “Cutting through my [his] body in a familiar way”. These lyrics are incredibly relatable and yet ambiguous in a sense. Rattigan describes this nostalgia as something you and I can relate to, bound by the enclosure of experiences differing from people. The lyric “Is it me, Or is it you who can’t relate?” is an incredible description of this feeling. We’ve all had it and can relate in a sort of way, but it’s different for everyone.
“Fear” is an amalgamation of poetic use of the relation between fear and life. Rattigan explains through this track the fear and its continuous effect on everyone. He describes not feeling afraid when he was young, hinting back at our theme of nostalgia. The line, “I never knew where it came from
s a beautiful story, describing the lack of worries everyone had when they were a kid. Our younger selves were ignorant of the troubles to come and, therefore blissful. Rattigan describes this relationship as a powerful hurricane. He later says, “And It’s so hard to stop the rain.” The use of rain in his metaphorically genius way pushes the devotion and yearning for his past life out of your mobile phone, past your ears, and into your heart.
“A Different Age” is another one of my all-time favorites. What’s beautiful about this particular song is the amount of infinite interpretation that surrounds it. The song starts with a simple drum beat, fading into a calming guitar melody. Rattigan’s voice blends harmoniously with the simple beat. He begins, “You don’t know me, ’cause I’m from a different age.”. This is an interpretation of the ever-changing times in the modern day. He describes this “different age” perfectly, detailing how it doesn’t feel right and how he feels out of place. My favorite lyric in the song. “Where all the punks are writing memoirs, and I’m still singing songs.” can be signified as the lack of authenticity in our new age. The kind of authenticity something has when one puts his heart and soul into it. Rattigan puts thoughts to words showing how this doesn’t exist in this new world, so there is nothing left to hear or see. He describes with emotion that his song is a joke and his despise of these new ways is just a sign of the times.
Each song of Nick Rattigan’s “A Different Age” is a classroom in itself, imparting lessons on life’s intricate facets. As the final notes fade away, we’re left with a sense of unity in our shared human experience. Through the symphony of existential longing, the album reminds us that life’s beauty often lies within the complexities we navigate daily. Music is a key factor in life if you find yourself out of touch with emotion. Music is always at your fingertips. It’s always reliable. If you press shuffle, you just might find something new.
