Spring Break
Upbeat sounds accompany ironic lyrics
Ryan Fernandez
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Meg & Dia debuted on the mainstream music scene about three years ago with the album "Something Real."
"here, here and here" is the band's second album.
I'll admit that I wasn't expecting much out of the album, thinking it was just another compilation of generic pop-rock recordings.
It took a few playbacks, but I discovered a series of deep and surprisingly bittersweet lyrics about loves lost, lives wasted and breaking free from expectations, all concealed within the album's fast and upbeat tracks.
The first song, "Going Away," has a beat that is bright, bouncy and catchy, in a retro kind of way. It had me bopping in my seat until I realized the lyrics were about a girl running away to start a new life, and supporting herself as a prostitute.
I can only hope I misinterpreted those lyrics, because the meaning of the song's title had clearly eluded me.
I had previously been prepared to shut my brain off and enjoy the music for the poppy, mindless and fight-the-urge-to-stand-up-and-dance-lest-I-embarrass-myself experience I was originally expecting.
As with many other occasions in my life, I was happy to have my expectations defied.
Nowhere else in the album is that ideal exemplified than in "Hug Me," the second track.
The opening was reminiscent of many country and western songs I've heard, and I was ready to dismiss the song as such until I heard the lyrics: "I can't lie, I was brainwashed to be honest / In this brave new world that slowly passes by / I'm a girl learning to act as planned / I was programmed to be Catholic but I ran."
When I heard those words, I knew this song was going straight into my iPod.
Finding new music that I like is a big deal to me, since my little iPod shuffle only holds about 250 songs.
I figure it's better to have 250 songs I know I'll listen to every time, rather than have to scroll through 10,000 to find one that matches my mood at the moment.
Unlike "Going Away," "Hug Me" didn't inspire me to get out of my seat and dance. Instead, I was tempted to lip-sync - an activity that's far more embarrassing and much more difficult to resist.
Another highlight of the album is "Bored of Your Love," a bittersweet duet with lead singer Dia Frampton singing along side guest Tom Higgenson, of the band Plain White T's.
The song is about lovers whose relationship is going in a downward spiral.
The album closes with the title track, "Here, Here and Here," apparently based on a quote by Mozart.
It is a relatively low-key song and is a quiet departure from the rest of the album.
It's a worthy endnote to the frenetic energy displayed in nearly every other song.
The album is a paradox of up beats and down lyrics that was thoroughly enjoyable.
Each track tells a story that is bleakly inspirational, giving listeners a dose of hope in a world that only exists to tear them down.
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