I DO IT FOR MY CITY: Album Review
As a music listener, I have discovered quite a few cool bands and artists over the years, one of the bands I've discovered being named “Kind of like Spitting”. Now hear me out: the name may seem odd, but there are weirder band names. Names aside, Kind of like Spitting formed in 1996 in Portland, Oregon. They make music in the Indie/emo genre; they dropped a new album on Friday, October 3rd. The album “I DO IT FOR MY CITY” has seven songs, and this is my review of the seven songs.
Battle of the bands, song 1, this is like a song I could listen to in class and lock in very hard, and that's one of the reasons why I like it a lot. They mention the loss of his dog, the emotional toll it left on him. “Can’t cry your pain away; Tears won’t raise the dead.” This man loved his dog, as do many who share an emotional bond with losing a family member. I interpret this message as loss happens, but life keeps moving along.
Jouhatsu, song 2: This song was very slow and laid-back. This artist likes to make a song for you, and you get to ride along. “A pocket that goes in swing, A singer too cool to sing. There it goes, there it goes.” This song kind of makes me feel uneasy, and I don’t really know why. Doesn’t have a super clear message, though if I had to interpret, I would say something that comes and goes with the rhythm.
Awkward Hug Goodbye, song 3, this song is short and sweet. Although the singer is very critical of himself in the lyrics. I relate to this song hardcore because of some of the things he talks about. This song is definitely the most emotional on the album, but I must say he sings about his insecurities quite well.
Tony in the City, song 4: Again, a very short song, but this one is about having sympathy for the person he calls Tony. Although I think Tony may be our singer, actually, and he is singing about himself because he mentions “All those gold records up on your wall.”, which is Kind of like Spitting has multiple pretty popular albums from back in the 90s.
Haiku, song 5, is 13 minutes long. It has a very long build-up into a very long guitar solo. This song doesn’t have many words, but I think it plays along with the topic of not always getting what you expect. It's also structured with a calm beginning, a chaotic middle, and a calm end.
Scrams on a Boat, song 6: This song is about reassurance and speaks about it in a very jazzy way. Groovy and lyrical speaking, how he will be, “fine down the line,” which basically means with time he will heal through whatever he is going through.
Leverage and Options, songs 7 and 8— these last two songs are more the artist trying to get his feelings out in song, and I love it because he speaks about things I myself think about. “Find love, find peace where you can. Don't be salty, it’s part of a bigger plan”. This line is very early in the song, and I'm glad because it sets the tone of him trying to become a better person. He is almost trying to reassure himself in song, which is quite beautiful. If I could sing, I would rant about my feelings like this.
The album in all: I think this album has a lot to do with inner feelings and trying to cope with life's struggles while seeing all the sad things. He ends up more peaceful in the last few songs than in the first couple. My least favorite song was probably Haiku because it was so long with so few words, but I think that's why it was so long: it was a moment for the narrator to reflect in this setting. My favorite song was Battle of the Bands because it is very mellow and sad. I said it before, it is a very good song to do homework or study to. It's a very good album, with a deeper structure and more meaning than just a collection of songs. I think it is a display of grief and healing over time.
