By ABBY BRAVO
Staff Writer
The electro-pop trio, AJR, released their fourth studio album titled “OK Orchestra” on March 26, 2021.
The entire feel of “OK Orchestra” is very nostalgic in the way that many of the songs are about reminiscing and growing up. It covers reminiscing and wanting to, essentially, go back in time as well as the feeling of running out of time and not being able to live life to the fullest. On top of that there is the overall theme of insecurity and wanting to be accepted. Although these topics are very deep and thoughtful, AJR still finds a way to keep a unique and upbeat sound for almost all of the songs on the album.
“OK Orchestra” opens with an overture, which is something they have on three out of four of their albums. “OK Overture” is a mash-up of all the songs on the album and gives the listener a good feeling of what the album will be. Right off the bat the feeling of nostalgia takes over in the overture with an orchestral and almost dream-like sound, yet they still manage to keep their electronic synth sound.
While the overture combines all the songs on the album, it also branches out with a few of its own lyrics consisting of; “One day, maybe someday/I’ll be so out of touch/I’ll become a trumpet or a drum set/In a sad orchestra/One day I won’t know what to write/And I can’t be eighteen my whole life.” These show the fears of growing up along with wanting to go back to what life used to be like.
The overture ends with the line “I’m not dead yet so I guess I’ll be alright,” which is also a lyric form “Way Less Sad,” that portrays that although life can get hard, there is always a way to get through and really puts the theme of the album out there.
The fifth song on the album, “Joe,” appears to be an ode to a middle school bully. He talks about his successes yet still comes back to this “Joe” for approval.
Obviously the group is very successful and anyone would think something a bully said would be meaningless now. Yet, this adds to the idea of the album as he is holding onto past grievances and insecurities.
The album overall has a similar feeling to how many have felt throughout the pandemic, a sense of being stuck and looking back on the past.
“Bang!,” is a regular in the dining hall on campus, and their biggest hit off of “OK Overture” which was released over a year ago in February 2020 and was their first single for the album.
Later on in the album the song “World’s Smallest Violin” discusses the idea that one’s own personal struggles are less valid or important because there are other issues in the world. This was a very common mentality during the pandemic since people feel guilty for talking about their problems.
The title of “World’s Smallest Violin” is obviously a poke at the idea that when someone is complaining about something “insignificant” they are playing the world’s smallest violin, meaning what they see as a problem is merely a minor inconvenience. The song itself has a very upbeat tone and makes good use of tempo and all of their instruments.
“Christmas In June” closes the album with a ballad about missing out on your own life because of work. He seems to be talking to a significant other and how they keep having to postpone celebrations and holidays due to their schedules.
Different than many of the songs on the album, this song looks more towards the future, but in a somber way. The song ends with the heartbreaking lyrics; “Now I’m sittin’, thinking ’bout what else I’ll miss/Darling, if we’re ever gonna have a kid/Don’t wanna miss it/Can we just have him in June?”
There are 13 songs total on the album and many talk about the same kinds of internal issues but all have their own unique sounds which is what makes AJR such an interesting band. While not every song on the album is a personal favorite of mine, their willingness to experiment with beats and background vocals makes it so every song has its own feel while helping the album tell a story.
