“PROMINENCE” is the 2nd full length in as many years from Texas transplant John Pena. It was recorded/mixed in the same apartment(after a failed attempt to mix in a “real” studio) as last years TALENT over the first few months of 2013 after shelving a full length’s worth of songs for not being sonically or emotionally interesting enough.
Using Primitive Radio God’s “Standing Outside A Broken Telephone Booth With Money In My Hand” as a sonic touch point John built a new album from the ground up utilizing chopped/sampled drum breaks and, for the first time, some non laptop based keyed instruments(piano, mellotron) along with H.B. main stays classical guitar and steel drums. Live member Christian Barsi and Daniel Schlett of Strange Weather Studio both contributed keys to a few songs but the outcome is still a very solo sounding project.
Arrangements is where PROMINENCE shines. Managing to sound inventive and not quite like anything else with such a limited palette is a rare and commendable feat. From the slide guitar and pulsing nylon string samples of “Honest” to the flamingo call and deep kick combo of the 2nd half of “Complete” Heavenly Beat keeps the whole affair sounding fresh, interesting and natural.
Lyrically, PROMINENCE is not an escapist affair. It’s a very direct look into someone dealing with poor body image(Thin), infidelity(Honest) and emotional/physical/sexual recklessness(Prominence). It’s not asking or answering any questions. Just existing within itself, fully a where of it’s shortcomings
Presence
Heavenly Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the time it takes, is it worth the bother?
Would you go, father, take it with an option
Father, lacking on the inside
If you take him out of fear, it'd leave me with nothing
And to break him from faith, it would seem unlikely
Father, that's the only option
Forget the time, leave it untied on the altar
Forgive the tone, see this only for the offer
Say it's over
Until you break her
Say it's over
And I'll say it's over
This side of hate, seems just like the other
All the time it takes, is it worth the bother?
Father, that's the only option
Father, that would be hard for everyone
Forget the time, leave it untied on the altar
Forgive the tone, see this only for the offer
Say it's over
Until you break her
Say it's over
And I'll say it's over
The song "Presence" by Heavenly Beat is an example of a minimalist and atmospheric track that employs a dreamy and hypnotic sound. The lyrics contain a sense of melancholy that evokes feelings of confusion and lostness in the singer's mind. The repetition of the verse "This side of hate, feels just like the other / All the time it takes, is it worth the bother?" is emblematic of the singer's despair and seeming inability to distinguish between love and hate.
The chorus of the song seems to dive into the subject of letting go, with the line "Say it's over / Until you break her". The singer appears to be conflicted about the idea of letting go, for fear of being left with nothing. The word "father" may take on a religious connotation, as if the singer is seeking guidance from a higher power in making this important decision.
Overall, "Presence" conveys a sense of emotional confusion and regret, with hauntingly beautiful production and spare, engaging lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
This side of hate, feels just like the other
The singer is acknowledging that hate is all-consuming and all-encompassing, and that the feeling on this side of it is similar to that on the other.
All the time it takes, is it worth the bother?
The singer wonders if it's worth investing the time and effort into something that may not even be worth it.
Would you go, father, take it with an option
The singer is addressing their father, asking if they would be willing to take an option for a difficult situation.
Father, lacking on the inside
The artist is observing that their father appears to be lacking inner strength or conviction.
If you take him out of fear, it'd leave me with nothing
The artist feels that if their father acts out of fear, it would leave them with nothing of value.
And to break him from faith, it would seem unlikely
The singer believes it would be difficult to convince their father to abandon his faith.
Father, that's the only option
The singer is emphasizing that taking action with their father is the only viable solution.
Father, that would be the hard for everyone
The artist acknowledges that taking action with their father would be difficult for everyone involved.
Forget the time, leave it untied on the altar
The artist urges the listener to forget about time and leave things unresolved.
Forgive the tone, see this only for the offer
The artist is asking the listener to forgive their tone and recognize that they are only offering their perspective.
Say it's over, until you break her
The singer is suggesting that things won't truly be over until the listener is able to break free from a situation or person.
Say it's over, and I'll say it's over
The artist is agreeing to declare that something is over once the listener has done the same.
This side of hate, seems just like the other
The singer is restating the idea that hate is all-consuming and has little differentiation between sides.
All the time it takes, is it worth the bother?
The singer repeats the same line as earlier, reflecting on whether or not it's worth investing time and effort into something.
Father, that's the only option
The singer further emphasizes that taking action with their father is the only viable solution to a difficult situation.
Father, that would be hard for everyone
The artist repeats the same line as earlier, acknowledging that taking action with their father would be difficult for everyone involved.
Forget the time, leave it untied on the altar
The artist repeats the same line as earlier, urging the listener to forget about time and leave things unresolved.
Forgive the tone, see this only for the offer
The singer repeats the same line as earlier, asking the listener to forgive their tone and recognize that they are only offering their perspective.
Say it's over, until you break her
The singer repeats the same line as earlier, suggesting that things won't truly be over until the listener is able to break free from a situation or person.
Say it's over, and I'll say it's over
The artist repeats the same line as earlier, agreeing to declare that something is over once the listener has done the same.
Contributed by Aubrey C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@juul2021
This is a great album
@gtmobayer
Ecellence in music! Very etherisl! One of the best albums in the last 30 years!
@carolcastro9855
COM UM TOQUE DE BOSSA NOVA!
@iomerengues2038
I love this song and the rest
@jgodard
LOVE!!!!
@alempiah
This shit is so unknown. I love it.
@Dustin_Curtis
I love my skinny jeans..
@johnnyatab
Sounds like a bunch of hipsters got together, put on their skinny jeans and THICK BLACK non prescription glasses and made a semi decent record. I like the steal drums. I think I like it now. I hated it at the beginning of this sentence.