Originally Posted by
valiantsteed
Initially, I found it quite difficult to come up with one master track list because of The Background World and Over and Out as neither would seemingly fit anywhere else other than at the end. As a troubleshoot, I broke it into 2 "halves" with TBW finishing the first 8 songs, which would then "loop" into Less Than to start the second half, which would actually almost feel natural if you've listened to Add Violence on repeat many times before. Given the metaphorical statement of the end of TBW, I found that concept to be rather fitting here. And while the notion of doing a full "CD" and connecting this collection of songs to that dead medium seems a bit silly now, I will say the coincidence/happy accident of the entire 16 tracks running at 1 hour, 19 minutes and change is kind of impossible not to notice.
The first half I wanted to focus on the anger and chaos of the trilogy. Wanting answers, explanations, sense - the world not providing that and the response being FUCK YOU. Two crunchy openers back to back followed by the power of Burning Bright. I loved the transition of Not Anymore and the "I Just Can't Seem to Wake Up" outro going into 'Yes, Everybody seems to be Asleep" in Dear World too. This Isn't The Place being the one kind of sonic reprieve to break up the constant droning onslaught.
The second half is more of this hazy acceptance that you won't ever receive the answers you need. You can only continue to ask the right questions, ad infinitum. You might slip in or slip out of that consciousness at times but ultimately we are all locked on the same track despite being disconnected. So why not succumb to addiction or self medication? Why feel like certain things are "important" when in the end they are not? That realization can be incredibly cold, accompanied by a vast sense of loneliness. This made She's Gone Away and the Idea of You the perfect sandwich bread for PTGP/GBDTD. Nor could I bring myself to break up I'm Not From This World and Over & Out as the epic closing duo for obvious reasons. The fight is real. How you choose to accept your eventual defeat is up to you. But fret not, for things are not entirely bleak! For when you get to that end, the whole experience will likely loop around again. And again. and again. and again like the endless blackness of space. And there is absolutely nothing you can do about that. Shiiiiiiiiit.
1. Branches/Bones
2. Shit Mirror
3. Burning Bright (Field on Fire)
4. Ahead of Ourselves
5. This Isn't The Place
6. Not Anymore
7. Dear World,
8. The Background World
9. Less Than
10. She's Gone Away
11. Play The Goddamned Part
12. God Break Down The Door
13. The Idea of You
14. The Lovers
15. I'm Not From This World
16. Over and Out