Last month, Hoarseman discussed his new album with us – and at midnight, May 10th, Annihilation dropped.
The album was described to us as the “annihilation of everything political, environmental, and moral.” It is supposed to be the destruction of the high school version of Hoagland in spite of every attempt to hold on to that person.
All of this can be found in the music.
The album begins with a build up in “The Void” – lasting approximately a minute and a half, it only contains an instrumentals with no vox; this short bit is directly in contrast to the nearly eight-minute song that ends the album (“Harrison Burgeron”). The songs sandwiched between these two provide a range of emotions over a variety of topics.
Whether Hoarseman is bemoaning societal issues like in “Annihilation” or crooning about a relationship as he does in “She,” the emotions experienced jump from one to another. There’s frustration, sadness, anger, and a bit of apathy all wrapped in a twelve-song collection.
When we discussed the album, it was made clear that several of the songs were about a failing relationship. “Alive” seems to be one of them; the powerful question of “Isn’t this all you ever wanted? Isn’t this everything you asked for?” sounds like it could be someone asking their partner why they aren’t happy. However, after listening to the song several times, the meaning could double as the speaker’s confusion on his own unhappiness. It sounds like a story about someone chasing a dream and finding it wasn’t what was expected. All he wanted was this dream, and now he isn’t sure why he wanted it because it didn’t meet his expectations.
Several of the songs have a similar disposition of diverging interpretations. Previously released, “Millennial Whoop” has the surface meaning of a celebration of life, the “whoop” for youth, but the song contains the hidden story line of a burned out relationship. It’s a reflection of what went wrong, and it’s the hope that life will go on.
To put it simply, the album in its entirety is Hoarseman’s interpretation of life. Raw honesty is what reigns with special appearances from hopelessness and depression. The dance elements, upbeat moments, provide relief for the heavy topics, but the topics remain.
There’s so much to analyze. Each track is a new story, and there are twelve tracks. The melodies complement the lyrics, only adding to the analysis. Yet, at the end of it all, you just need to listen to the album. Let the music wash over you; make your own judgement. As Hoarseman insisted in the aforementioned interview, he wants people to interpret the music in their own way.
Make sure to check out Hoarseman on all social media and music streaming sites. Listen to Annihilation today:
