Sympathy
Scattered Trees is a band that grew up together in the outskirts of Chicago. The band became a family in more ways than one, with some of the members sharing last names. As time progressed, Scattered Trees became a staple of Chicago clubs. However, it wasn’t until lead singer Nate Eiesland’s father passed away that the band began composing their best music. These songs are dedicated to the memory of Nate’s father, and the album is called Sympathy.
As I listen to “Bury the Floors,” I can’t help but think that Nate sounds like Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows. Granted, he sounds like a toned-down Adam Duritz with a slightly less powerful voice, but he is not bad at all. Nate’s voice definitely fits the melancholic songs he’s written.
“Bury the Floors” starts really slow, and the rhythm of the song calms the mood of the listener. Although the song eventually picks up, the lyrics remain consistently somber. Here’s a sample of the lyrics: “It’s the house that I built you to fall / We started to walk then we stood up to crawl / So bury the floors and burn down the walls / to find ourselves by morning.” I’m sensing a lot of gloom and doom in these lyrics, but that is to be expected. After all, the album was written during a time of intense mourning.
“Sympathy,” “On Your Side,” “I Swear to God,” “Love and Leave,” “Where You Came From” and “A Conversation About Death on New Year’s Eve” all deal with relationships and the problems that accompany them. “A Conversation About Death on New Year’s Eve” is an interesting song because it’s about the promises we make in relationships and how they often remain unfulfilled. “Love and Leave” is about an on and off relationship, and it features some nice guitar riffs that sound a little like Coldplay. “On Your Side” and ”Where You Came From” discuss the problems that must be overcome in relationships if the relationship is to survive. Yet, the most thought-provoking song in this category is “I Swear to God.” It’s a supplication to Jesus and it’s styled like a prayer.
The title track, “Sympathy,” bleeds pure emotion. In fact, “Sympathy” and “Five Minutes” are the two deepest songs on this album. These songs are the ones to listen to when you’re feeling down. Don’t listen to them at other times, because they will bring you down. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s just that songs don’t always have uplifting effects.
My personal favorite song is “Four Days Straight,” simply because it is more upbeat than any other song on Sympathy. Nate’s voice is accompanied by some amazing guitar strumming as he discusses the ways to mend a broken heart.
Sympathy is a depressing album, and it is my opinion that it should not be listened to at all times. This doesn’t mean that the album should be ignored. I think that Sympathy has tremendous value. Not only will the multicolored Triforces featured on the album’s cover bring immense joy to Legend of Zelda fans everywhere, but the album could be extremely useful for individuals going through a tough time in life. Scattered Trees know that everyone experiences ups and downs in life. It is their goal to create an album that accurately describes a "down” time, and I believe they successfully reach that goal.