As I anticipated, The Maine released another single in the lead up to their seventh album, You Are OK, coming March 29th. "My Best Habit" continues to reveal the new direction and sound of the forthcoming album, although it paints a different picture than "Numb Without You" did.
This single has a very catchy feel to it - as I discovered from Genius, the working name for this song throughout the recording process was "Bop", and the band members have been referring to the song (in a fairly joking manner) as such. For those who aren't familiar, a bop is a term for a song that is fantastic, that's repeatable and that you can't get out of your head - a bit similar to banger, but slightly different context. When listening, you can hear how the band would think of it as such - it's got a brighter, more tapping-your-feet-along feel to it than "Numb Without You" did. There isn't this huge wall of sound that pushes it towards epic territory, but it's a more fun tune - at least, without taking the lyrics into account.
The lyrical content feels like what we've come to expect from The Maine - full of relatability, depth, and vulnerability. Some of the best lines are not limited to, but include:
"If you're not you, you're everyone else",
"And if you're searching for a sure thing, nice dream
Something like a machine
Then my best habit's letting you down",
and
"One part anxiety using two parts naivety
Just to keep sane".
The song talks of the struggle to meet the expectations of others, and how that's not something that should be wasted, especially when those expectations are unrealistic or unhealthy ("something like a machine"). It's empowering in the message it conveys, the pursuit of being oneself and not caving to the pressures of fitting in or appeasing someone's expectations ("if you're not you, you're everyone else").
Musically, this song is really cool - it highlights all the members of the bands at different points, showing off their strengths both apart and together. The gang vocal aspect is also really intriguing, as something that is not often explored in The Maine's previous work. It all has a rhythm, a groove to it that really does make it feel like a bop. It's a song you can cruise in your car with, jam out to through your headphones, and enjoy with others or by yourself.
Now, there is one thing I will highlight that I feel comes out more strongly in this song that any recorded music that The Maine has put out recently - John's voice. My fiance (I got engaged last month!!!) and I have had a few conversations over the years, especially after seeing The Maine in concert, about John's voice and the condition it's in. This song shows something that we've both hear in the live performances (and especially in the acoustic version of "Numb Without You" here) - the raspy quality that's become more and more prominent. It feels as if his voice is slowly going, which I sincerely hope is not the case, but I worry about nonetheless. I love this band, this group, and the songs that John has defined with his vocals. I want to be able to keep hearing them, and keep hearing that voice lead the charge. I mean this all with only love - no disrespect in the slightest.
Besides that last point, I really enjoy this song - while it didn't captivate me with the same intensity that "Numb Without You" did, it definitely continues to pump me up for what is going to be a truly incredible album.
Rating: 4/5
No comments:
Post a Comment