Tiberius Releases a Gift of an Album with “Lull”
Image Courtesy of Tiberius’s BandCamp
While listening to Tiberius’ sophomore album “Lull”, I felt like the main character in my own coming of age movie. His songs are filled with colorful bursts of imagery, shown in the lyric such as “there’s blood on the apple core these coffee-stained fingers and carrot pigmentation,” and poetic melodies of heartbreak like “self-centered conflicted illusively static saccadic eyed addict.” These haunting lyrics brought me back to moments where I became swallowed by adulthood and the pain that comes with growing up. Tiberius’s genius writing is only half of the beauty that constructs this album. Each fingerpicked track draws you into his web of uncertainty, evolution, and angst - three factors adolescents commonly experience while growing and changing. These feelings are brought to life through mesmerizing instrumentation which makes the “Lull” an album to jam and cry to at 4 am.
The first track, ironically titled “The First of Many Lasts,” sets the tone for the entire journey listeners take while playing this album. It represents an almost acoustic folk sound that many artists like Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver master. You get the sense of a warm and inviting tone when the chimes play like the artist is inviting you into his head. Then the strings play, and you ascend into a fantasy world that is not your own, but it’s Tiberius’s. However, the themes that carry throughout the album are ones many can relate to. In his discussion of the album, Brenden mentions these concepts of “self-hatred vs. self-love, the complexities of transitioning between youth and aging, and the power of the pen & expression.” These concepts make listeners feel vulnerable while opening the parts of their minds that many try to shut out. The parts that reveal our greatest struggles as humans: feeling less than, feeling like time is moving too fast without giving us a chance to find ourselves, and feeling stuck when it comes to expressing our deepest emotions.
In “MPHL”, we hear his voice for the first time, an enchanting and comforting sound. The clear yet raspy tone expresses pain in such an artistic way, and it is beautiful. The lyrics of this track feel dark and bleak, but make you reflect on your own life and past experiences in both romantic and platonic relationships. Lyrics like “I kept all the insults you gave to me.” explore and analyze how sometimes hurtful words stick with you more than kind words. I’m sure anyone can think of a time when insults thrown at them were weighing on their mind, constantly circling like vultures around their prey. The transition from the title track into this song is electrifying. Instead of being thrown into an instrumental whirlwind, we get to analyze his lyrics. “I’m hanging on my collar bone as I awkwardly wait to talk to you. Sway side to side. I fell in love with a state of mind. And I don’t want to die, but I'm gonna die.” This is a perfect example of imagery in the minds of an adolescent, representing the flutter you get in your stomach when you see someone who makes you feel alive. The thought that when this feeling of love dies, you may die with it.
“Pale Ale” is one of my personal favorites on the album. It brings listeners back to a time when reckless partying was the norm, and large crowds were not frowned upon because of a deadly pandemic. These were the good old days when the fear of growing old was not on our minds. The only thing we had to think about was how many beers it would take to make me jump into the pool with my clothes on (seven). The guitar and drums add to a 2000’s rock sound that takes listeners back in time. I love this song because it tells a story about teens at a party living life like time is nonexistent, tumbling down the street at 3 am. This song describes aspirations, as a young dreamer hopes to stay in contact with those entangled in their ever-changing post-graduation lives, singing, “What if I moved to the city? What if I moved down the street? Would you have me over for toast and tea?” This song also chronicles the idea of expressing exposed emotion, something teenagers often feel prohibited to do. “I cried for the first time in a fucking year.” The reason why I love this track so much is because it feels so raw. The way Tiberius is able to convey the intense nature of growing up in that line alone is wonderful. This track is electrifyingly beautiful, and one I could listen to on repeat.
In the track “Urn”, the guitar riff transcends into very catchy instrumentation that gives off the vibe of a teenager in the ’80s putting this record on and dancing in their underwear. Lyrically, this song is intensely captivating. It fully represents the feelings of self-hatred and getting lost in your own fictional ideas of how people in this judgemental world feel about you. It connotes this consuming feeling, as though all eyes are focused explicitly on you, waiting for you to make the slightest mistake. The line “I’m forgetting you’re a person, not a painting” perfectly shows how we tend to assume people think negatively of us when they stare, but they could also just be admiring our picturesque beauty. The robotic voice mouthing words of reassurance acts as a metaphor for us being robots to society, constantly trying to remind ourselves we are worthy, while also feeling empty inside.
Lastly, the title track “Lull” represents a dream-like state that takes you all around Boston, in the middle of North Woods and beyond. Acting almost as an ode to Beantown, with a Dave Mathew’s band flare, we see how the bright sky induces a sense of euphoria. We also see how little things like fleas and ticks can quickly take someone out of their trance. The line “five trees from the place where I could call home” is an amazing lyric to incorporate in the title track of an album., because the line is meaningful to Brenden. He can close his eyes and envision these trees intertwining with his album. I love that the album is titled “Lull,” especially because this track perfectly captures the feeling of being lost in a big city like one gets lost in their mind. A perfect ribbon on this gift of a record.
Overall, this album does exactly what it sets out to do. “Lull” makes you feel nostalgic about moments in your life that seemed painful, but have helped you transition into adulthood, experiencing life for its ups and downs. It raises questions about the future and how important it is to embrace every moment of freedom before your life becomes swarmed with discomfort and thrusts you into territory that often seems daunting. Everyone can relate to this album. Whether it’s heartbreak, insecurity, or something as simple as the fear of stepping outside your comfort zone, this record tackles issues that reflect relatability in its purest form. It is truly one that will tug on the heartstrings of individuals across the world.