“The music we like to put together is dark, but so is the subject matter, so the medium has to be as well,” O’ Brother’s lead singer/guitarist Tanner Merritt spells out the capturing of the Georgia band’s first five written songs.
To break the cimmerian shade of an album based around sleep and its emboss to the natural world a dynamic had to be created, a wall of density given breathe and firm grip around melodies unable to wander. The expected sprawl of soft, then loud, then back to soft was sacrificed projecting a new luminance where the strength was in the tiny twisting light that exhales from the EP as a whole.
The band sought to keep their on stage essence by laying the album down live, forgoing the studio temptation to fill each space. Recorded by Brad Fisher with assistance from Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull the best takes were chosen for keys and effects to be added in later creating the soundscapes tucked beneath each song.
Since the 2009 release the band has shared stages with Thrice, Circa Survive, Manchester Orchestra, Biffy Clyro. Ready to record again the band is in a new dawn; where the sun is rising and a new eclectic output is being embraced.
“I think we are enjoying the writing of our full length more than we did with the EP,” Martens explains the bands next step. “It is more of a shared experience with this one because everyone is writing. The music is coming out better than ever and we are really happy to be coming into our sound.”
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Complicated End Times
O'Brother Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By the sweat in my brow
But you don't know a thing about me
You wanna snuff my fire out
I just need a little time
To breathe and realign my ego and me (I need time to reignite)
You can take your place in line
To erase my name
The lyrics to O'Brother's song Complicated End Times speak about the struggle of an individual to maintain their identity and inner strength amidst the criticism and negativity of others. The first two lines imply that the person's actions may be judged and evaluated by others based on the amount of hard work they put in, but they do not understand the person's true nature. The next two lines show the person's frustration with those who are trying to manipulate or control them by putting out their passion and drive. The person just needs some time to realign and get back to their original self. The last two lines represent the individual's determination to stay true to themselves and succeed despite the obstacles and negative forces around them.
The song is an ironic statement about the state of the world and the value system prevalent in society. It portrays how we often evaluate others based on outward metrics, like the sweat on their brow, instead of understanding their true worth. Complicated End Times is a powerful message to embrace our uniqueness and nurture our inner strength as individuals.
Line by Line Meaning
You can try and measure what I do
You may attempt to quantify my actions
By the sweat in my brow
Through the evidence of my toil
But you don't know a thing about me
However, you lack knowledge of my character
You wanna snuff my fire out
You aspire to extinguish my passion
I just need a little time
I simply require a brief period
To breathe and realign my ego and me
To recuperate and realign my confidence with myself
You can take your place in line
You are capable of joining the queue
To erase my name
To obliterate my identity
You'll see I'll be the paradigm
Yet, you'll observe, I'll become the example
Contributed by Levi I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
EvillMonkeyy
how this song has so few views and how I didn't know about it until a few days ago boggles my mind... That beginning for me is truly amazing and it's been stuck in my head since I first heard it.
HotSavior
This song was FUCKING AWESOME live!
Great job on this record guys!
unravelingmusic
This song and cd are incredible! It's nice to hear a band that cares so much about creating interesting song structures and captivating soundscapes :) The production value is also top notch!
I've had the first half of this record on repeat over the past month. Keep it up boys!
3waycrash
This song and album are really growing on me. Great stuff!
PresidentHobbes
Amazing song
St.Dubious
My favorite song on the new CD.
thatguy1706
same here. completely on point, this song. hoping so bad they play it here in Denver tomorrow night.
Anna Bugdał
Finally! Something worth listening!
Зритель
Underrated.
Sagowara
i will start listening to all this group from this song, hello from 2022 !