The title track opens the record in slow and swaying style as Blair Howerton sings about how ‘sometimes it’s over’ and then becomes more defiant: ‘Wake up, take all your chances’. With a touch of Laurel Canyon in its alt-folk sound, it’s a soulful piece that carries through on ‘Rhyme or Reason’, a touching story of heartbreak and despair with its talk of ‘Disappearing thoughts of love’.
‘Fake Out’ has experimental tones and almost falls apart before being sewn together in glitchy fashion while ‘Green Things’ has a beautiful and ethereal, almost cinematic quality. ‘All the Money’ is an atmospheric and anthemic piece with some truths at its core – ‘All the money in the world wouldn’t buy what you want’ – while ‘Peppermint’ is packed with swirling, psychedelic melodies.
‘Three Big Moons’ finds Blair repeating the line ‘Houston, we have a problem, so many that I just cannot cancel them’ over gliding acoustic strums, while ‘Weather Song’ fits somewhere between Jeff Buckley and Sharon Van Etten, its potent guitar hooks falling under some touching lyrics: ‘You complain about the heat, I cry about the cold’; ‘When all is said and done, I’ll keep the cold off and you’ll keep me warm’.
‘I Took the Shot’ closes the album in typically blunt and apt fashion: ‘It turns out that I don’t hate you and believe me, I did try’. It’s a fitting finale to a beautiful record about the importance – and power – of having hope.
