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Nathan - Key Principles
- The Canadian group, Nathan, drops Key Principles, which is filled with tracks laden with confusing metaphors that might be tough for listeners to discern, which might turn them off, but the sterling guitar work and simpatico harmonies might neutralize this.
“John Paul’s Deliveries” introduces the female vocalist’s whimsy tone that extends through the whole album. Her melodious voice echoes as she talks about escapades and immature actions that were undertaken and what transpired afterwards, with lyrics like, “Three bucks from my mother’s handbag or 13 from Margaret’s. Kathy stole some cigarettes, now empty out your pockets...Three more dollars…Plus John Paul’s commission…He pretends he is laughing with them…I can crawl outside through my bedroom window, the dog doesn’t bark. Meet you in the moonlight, leave the ghetto blaster quiet. Let’s just listen to the crickets and the heartbeat of the dark.” As she toils on about these antics, acoustic guitar work from Damon Mitchell and percussion play from Kurt Dahle add to the flow of the song.
On “Daffodils,” there is more acoustic guitar work from Mitchell and he also adds his drumming prowess to the track. The female vocalist muses about how time passes but a certain flower seems to always reappear, with lyrics like, “You change the box on the chandelier…The daffodils that planted in our first year…And the daffodils keep coming back.” It seems the band is reminiscing on times gone by, but despite things changing and disappearing, one remained constant, the daffodils.
“Trans Am” has a road trip vibe to it with more acoustic guitar work from Mitchell, and the female vocalist this time talks about fleeing from a spot and not daring to look back. There is also an air of regret in her voice as she is contemplating actions she should or could have taken but chose not to, with lyrics like, “Trans Am, take me away, doesn’t have to be far…Let’s go fast…No exceptions made…Square one welcome speed back, square one welcome speed back, Trans am, take me away where the lights start fading and darkness erases potential I wasted.”
“The Boulevard Back Then” has slower acoustic guitar work from Mitchell and measured percussion work from Dahle for a slightly creepy rhythm. The vocalist is talking about a certain life path and how traversing it had specific repercussions. The song also muses about telling stories to future generations, with lyrics like, “I like to walk around my dark house preparing for the day the lights go out, you should have seen the boulevard back then tell our grandchildren, freshly pressed and fancy stepper main street every time…And his skin could not define…How you love your father I will tell my only son.” She harmonizes hauntingly and listeners may wonder the true intentions of this song.
Nathan’s Key Principles gives instances that occur in life, but through hidden meanings and analogies that listeners need to keenly think about in order to ascertain their true definition.
Reviewer: Sari N. Kent
new
Reviewer's Rating: 8.5
Reader's Rating: 9.00
Reader's Votes: 1
Added: 7-Apr-2007
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