“Ize of the World” mourns the loss of dreams to busyness and greed. An obscure line on “Evening Sun” values honesty. “15 Minutes” says we shouldn’t worry about what others think, but …
… the singer does anyway, letting paranoia make him assume the worst of catty females. Similarly, he puts cruel words in the mouth of a woman on “Razorblade.” Numerous songs are awash in romantic angst. A few resort to profanity. The opening line of “Heart in a Cage” uses the f-word. An s-word mars “Vision of Division,” on which a guy dumps a girl because her friends annoy him. Alcohol is a friend in awkward social situations (“Electricityscape”), and the singer calls his girlfriend an “a–hole” as he observes that partiers are “drunk, loud and p—ed off” (“Fear of Sleep”). Spiritual confusion marks “You Only Live Once” (“Countless odd religions too/It doesn’t matter which you choose”). Other lyrics are more vague. “On the Other Side” could be about suicide or drowning sorrows in booze. “Red Light” seems to involve picking up a prostitute (an illustration of a woman in the liner notes reveals rear and breast nudity). A guy is waiting for “action” and “love” on “Juicebox.”
Artsy ambiguity and mumbled vocals make some lyrics tough to nail down. But the profanity, depression and romantic dysfunction are unmistakable. Don’t let First Impressions make a lasting impression on teens.
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