Sunday, April 12, 2015
Song Review: Beartooth's In Between
And why this song means so much to me
By Marielou Obdeijn
Beartooth released a new video for their song “In Between" April 7. In the video we see the band playing on a mountain while they sing, “Up on the mountain, I see down below”. Fitting, right?
This music video also features the lead singer Caleb Shomo passionately yelling out his lyrics inside a dirty cottage, looking tortured by his own mind, on what I suppose is the same mountain as where the rest of the shoot is done. Doesn’t sound like much? Well, there is a lot of symbolism in what goes down behind those walls.
For me, the parts in the video that mean the most are just the ones in this little cottage. In less than five minutes you can find (almost) everything about Caleb’s past on the internet, and you will learn that his mind hasn't exactly been his friend for most of his life. These stories of his past can also be heard in much of his music, especially in the song “Sick and Disgusting”. How does this link with this video? If you focus on the scenes where he is in this cottage you’ll see that he is angry at first, but then becomes emotional, until finally he just lays on the ground almost motionless.
For me, the parts in the video that mean the most are just the ones in this little cottage. In less than five minutes you can find (almost) everything about Caleb’s past on the internet, and you will learn that his mind hasn't exactly been his friend for most of his life. These stories of his past can also be heard in much of his music, especially in the song “Sick and Disgusting”. How does this link with this video? If you focus on the scenes where he is in this cottage you’ll see that he is angry at first, but then becomes emotional, until finally he just lays on the ground almost motionless.
This is when I think the most important part in the video happens. While Caleb lies on the ground, the cabin starts to fill up with water. The water keeps streaming in until it’s covering him, and he looks almost calmed by his imminent death. It is as if he has accepted his fate and is okay with drowning. But then several people (presumably his bandmates) rush to the scene and pull him out of the water, not before breaking down the walls of the cottage to get inside.
This shows just how much music and this band mean to Caleb, and how they are saving him in some way. Most of us know how much music can help us through tough times, and I think that Caleb is a good example of this.
Now, for the song itself. Beartooth has blown up over the past year and made their way to the top of the scene's hot list. Their song “Beaten In Lips” could be heard everywhere on alternative radio stations for most of 2014, and it has been in multiple music charts, like Kerrang!’s music chart and the Billboard Top 200 since it's release in May 2014. So, now that you know why this band may sound so familiar, let's talk about why this song should be in your music library.
For me, this song is four minutes of heaven. It starts with a simple guitar build up and light vocals, but it soon transforms into Caleb’s gruff unclean vocals. While he screams his heart out, his vocals are joined by the guitars and drums, but they aren't too loud, keeping Caleb’s voice clear and easy to understand. The instruments support the vocals, only there to make sure the song is being imprinted in your mind. It may sound weird: How can a balanced sound make such a difference in whether it's remembered? For me the answer lies in the fact that I have a really unbalanced life, and I prefer listening to this kind of song because it makes me calm and peaceful again, no matter what kind of music it is.
But, for the most part, this song is so outstanding because of the meaningful and honest lyrics. I especially love the lyrics “Everybody gets high, Everybody gets low, Life can be such overdose” and “I won't let pain get in my way, I can't have silence claiming me, We have strength in numbers strength in numbers to get us through the day”, because these lyrics put into words what I feel almost daily.
But, for the most part, this song is so outstanding because of the meaningful and honest lyrics. I especially love the lyrics “Everybody gets high, Everybody gets low, Life can be such overdose” and “I won't let pain get in my way, I can't have silence claiming me, We have strength in numbers strength in numbers to get us through the day”, because these lyrics put into words what I feel almost daily.
You should definitely give this song a listen (or put it on repeat like I did). Let me know if you share my opinion on this song or what it means to you.
