Inspired by the sonic grandeur of classic albums like U2s The Joshua Tree, Peter Gabriel s So and Joni Mitchell s Blue as well as all things Bowie and Eno, Levine quietly honed his love of song and melody while most of his peers reveled in the sounds of local acts like Linkin Park and Incubus.
Musical salvation came when Levine met magnetic drummer Sal Cortez through an ex- girlfriend. The two hit it off immediately and began the long process of finding kindred spirits to join them. After many months of searching they finally found guitarist RC, a former guitarist of local thrashy hardcore band R.O.H. Then came keyboardist Andrew Ampaya, a classically trained piano virtuoso whose influences meshed with their own. With innovative and like-minded bassist Agustin Sanchez joining shortly thereafter, the first and final line up of Test Your Reflex was cemented.
Heres where things start moving fast. After being together for just several months, the word of their talent spread very quickly with one industry enthusiast even wanting to sign them to a management deal based on his immediate belief in their talent. The only catch was that since Cortez was seventeen, the group had to wait until he was legal to sign the necessary paperwork. It was like needing a hall pass or permission slip to play music, he jokes. A fitting metaphor for someone just out of high school.
Within four months of forming, Test Your Reflex performed their first show at the only place in town that would allow them to play since they were all under 21 and one that would become, as Ampaya kids, their own CBGBs but without the booze and the vibe, --- the Thousand Oaks Teen Center. In the following months, friends, friends of friends, girlfriends and former chem lab partners came out to the Center and danced their asses off to the groups highly combustible songs.
The Center was the real birthplace of the band, adds Levine. A few of us had been rehearsing in the practice rooms there with other bands since we were 12, so when everyone starting come out to see us, it was like a homecoming the spark that really drove us.
After winning over even the most jaded of crowds in Hollywood and continually selling out and tearing the roof off of the Teen Center, Test Your Reflex headed to a boutique North Hollywood studio in January of 2006 to begin work on The Burning Hour. Intent on capturing the full spectrum of their electric sound, the group spent many months perfecting their craft and making sure every melody, hook and beat was just so. It was very important to us to write a complete and developed album, says Levine. We wanted the ballads to co-exist alongside songs that were more electronic and others that were full-on rock. We had so many songs already written that it was about choosing the ones that were most real to us and not over-thinking anything.
What resulted after all was said and done was a pure distillation of Test Your Reflex's frenetic energy and raw yet tuneful sensibilities into eleven tracks that are as diverse and unpretentious as they are catchy. From the dreamy opener Im Not Sorry to the anthemic I Am Alive, and the impossibly infectious first single Pieces of the Sun, The Burning Hour is a sublime synthesis of the accessible with the unexpected. All eleven tracks cleverly showcase the depth of this record on which every song will be someones favorite.
Its an album for anyone looking to escape from sadness, boredom or the everyday and step into a danceable, hum-able, heartfelt daydream. Its the pop life seen through new eyes.
Thinking of You
Test Your Reflex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll talk our eyes to sleep
And when it's over and we part, you'll remain inside my heart
You see I can't forget your face, your face, your face
No, no, oh, oh
[Chorus]
Each time, we kiss, your hand upon my fingertips and
It's not, that bad, just don't forget what we have
And time, won't mean a thing, cause I'll be thinking of you love
It's been three months and now you're running circles,
Deep inside my head
When I thought all the love inside of me was dead
So don't think twice my love, oh no, about how much you mean to me
I'll say it one more time, so loud, so clear
You are the only one, the only one that's ever really listened to me
You are the only one, the only one that's ever really mattered to me
So don't you go (Don't you go)
[Chorus]
Come now don't worry about the things you'll do next week
For just this once can we pretend, it's you and me
And everything the falls between the lines won't mean a thing
So take my hand, we'll run away
From everything, from everything, from everything from everything
[Chorus]
The song "Thinking of You" by Test Your Reflex is a powerful love song about an intense and passionate connection between two people. The singer expresses his desire to be alone with his lover, where they can talk until their eyes are sleepy. He expresses his deep feelings of love for his partner, stating that even when they part ways, she will remain within his heart. He cannot forget her face, and it is evident that his love for her is intense and profound.
The chorus of the song asserts that his love is solely for her, and whenever they kiss, her hand touching his fingertips makes him think of her. Even though they are apart, he thinks of her constantly, and time does not hold any meaning for him since he'll be thinking of her. He acknowledges that she's been on his mind for over three months, and she's deep inside his head. Despite feeling like there's no love left inside him, she revived his spirit, and he now knows that she's the only person who's ever truly listened and mattered to him.
The song's lyrics also reveal a sense of anxiety or worry about the future and what it holds. However, the singer urges his lover not to worry about what will happen the next week, but rather just enjoy their moment together. This song transcends genres; it is a powerful fusion of rock, pop, and alternative music that sends a message about the power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to be, in a room just you and me
I want to be alone with you
We'll talk our eyes to sleep
We'll talk until we're too tired to keep our eyes open
And when it's over and we part, you'll remain inside my heart
Even after we leave each other, you'll always be in my heart
You see I can't forget your face, your face, your face
I can't forget what you look like
C'mon, my love, it's you I'm thinking of
I'm thinking of you, my love
Each time, we kiss, your hand upon my fingertips
I feel your hand on my fingertips every time we kiss
And it's not, that bad, just don't forget what we have
Our situation isn't that bad, but don't forget what we mean to each other
And time, won't mean a thing, cause I'll be thinking of you love
Time won't change my feelings for you because I'll always be thinking of you
It's been three months and now you're running circles
You've been running circles in my mind for three months
Deep inside my head
I can't stop thinking about you
When I thought all the love inside of me was dead
I thought I could never love again, but then I met you
So don't think twice my love, oh no, about how much you mean to me
Don't doubt how much you mean to me, my love
You are the only one, the only one that's ever really listened to me
You are the only one who truly listens to me
You are the only one, the only one that's ever really mattered to me
You are the only one who truly matters to me
So don't you go (Don't you go)
Don't leave me
Come now don't worry about the things you'll do next week
Let's not worry about the future
For just this once can we pretend, it's you and me
Let's pretend it's just the two of us, just this once
And everything the falls between the lines won't mean a thing
Everything else doesn't matter
So take my hand, we'll run away
Let's run away together
From everything, from everything, from everything from everything
Let's escape from everything
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RYAN A LEVINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ghost Rider
This song was used in my class’s graduation video, many years ago. Memories 💜
Mitch Galbreth
I listened to this song during my last moments in Canada yesterday. My girlfriend lives there and I was getting dropped off for my flight back to Idaho and this song just brought tears to our souls. This song just made us cry so much but the lyrics are just so beautiful.
Ian Lerma
I remember when I first confessed my feelings to her. She sent me a playlist a few weeks later after we got closer, and this was the first song I listened to in that playlist she made for me. She’s gone now but damn, this song makes me so happy even though I think of her when it comes on
JfnDWatchesVids
Wherever I go in life, this song is coming with me. :))
GLUM TV
Same
WND 2
Sucks they’re didn’t blow up 😢 I bought their album and it was surprisingly good.
fraxinnelle
this song is so fun to listen to - thank goodness i heard this on radio
Jose Alban
amazing song!
Hannah G
I love this song.
Distilled ToIndieRock
This song needs a lot more views. I know some people have taste. Where are they hiding?? Thanks for the upload. I shared this song a while back.