Gratitude
Gratitude

Passion. It’s what drives this record and can be heard in every syllable uttered and every note played. One of the aspects of a recording that will always sell me on the song is when the passion that the artists put into it is visible as the sound waves flow from my speakers. When I know that the singer and musicians believe, to the bottom of their heart, in what they are singing or playing, then you’ve got a song that will move me regardless of the lyrics. When you have an entire album full of songs like this, you will move mountains. That’s exactly what Gratitude have created with their self-titled debut, an album that will move mountains. The album covers a vast area of lyrical space ranging from political (This is the part), to the greatest desire (Someone to Love) to the greatest fear (Feel Alright). Jonah Matranga takes us on a journey doling out sound advice along the way. Giving us phrases that will end up in the pages of High School yearbooks, or signatures of e-mails or tacked to a cubicle wall (such is the broad appeal of this album). Phrases like: “You can’t save someone from death / but you can love them when they’re dying” (The Greatest Wonder). But this album is far more than just catchy phrases, it is poetry. Which may be it’s greatest asset and its only shortcoming. Like with most poetry, I don’t get the sense that the songs are about a specific time, place or person but more a generalized emotional conveyance. Where some of Gratitude’s peers (Dashboard Confessional and Something Corporate or even Matranga’s Onelinedrawing) songs seem to be more about specifics. I leave it up to you to decide whether this is an asset or a hindrance. Musically the album ranges from catchy rock hooks (Drive Away) to anthemic (Last) to ballady (Sadie). Gratitude displays their mastery of each style before moving on to the next and sometimes combining styles within a song. I was anticipating a great record, as was the rest of the quality-music-listening population but this surpasses any expectations I could have had.
Reviewed by Nathan Wrann
Recommended for fans of: Dashboard Confessional, Jimmy Eat World, U2, P