On February 13, 2009, the band posted the a blog, entitled "There is hope for us...." on their Myspace page with a short message promising more from the band soon. "Thank you all for standing by our side.... We will post something with a little more detail soon. Promise. Love, The Jealous Sound."[3] Another blog post confirmed on June 24, 2009 that the band would accompany Sunny Day Real Estate on their 2009 reunion tour.
Since this time, the band's activity rocketed into the public space again, with the announcement of a new album. This was accompanied by a sporadically updated blog featuring updates on the recording sessions.[4] The band announced that they have been joined by friends Nate Mendel of Foo Fighters to play bass and Bob Penn of CoCo B's to play drums on the new album. Part of Mendell's involvement secured them a year of recording and writing in the Foo Fighter's personal studio.
In October 2011, singer Blair Shehan announced that the new album is to be called "A Gentle Reminder" and it will be released in January 2012. This was followed by an official announcement on the band's Facebook page.[5] In anticipation of the release, the band released a new song called "Your Eyes Were Shining" via Soundcloud.[6]
The band headed out on a short promotion tour in December 2011 and promised a full tour in 2012.
A Gentle Reminder was released on January 31st 2012; the album picks up where Kill Them With Kindness left off, not straying too far from the Midwest emo/indie sound that defined the band on their debut full-length but still refining it along the way.
Following a long period of inactivity, on March 29th 2017 singer Blair Shehan announced via their Facebook page that The Jealous Sound are finished, and that a new band called Racquet Club had been formed consisting of himself and drummer Bob Penn, along with Sergie Loobkoff of Samian/Knapsack and Ian Smith.
Promise of the West
The Jealous Sound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looks different now than it does at night
Palms to glass, like a town
The taxicab back to your hotel
And it was more
Than every now and then
Like some endless love affair
I left you there, so i'll spare the social grace
I wasn't strong enough for both of us
In this god forsaken place
And i wish you well
And you'd better hold on
Couldn't break the gaze of wild eyes
You got it all wrong, couldn't force my will to make you try
And i can feel your racing chest, just pressing down on mine
You couldn't feel what i had found
You always lacked the rope to wrap around [?]
You couldn't be the one, you couldn't be the one
You couldn't call or come to me
I sang it out, you sang it back to me
Sang it back to me, sang it back to me
You sang it back to me
Cicadas' song, wasn't really a song at all
Just vibrations of its loneliness
Like some desperation call
So leave me here, like some unwelcome guest
But you abandoned both of us, in this promise of the west
Promise me the best, but i wish you well
And you'd better hold on
Couldn't break the gaze of wild eyes
You got it all wrong, couldn't force my will to make you try
And i can feel your racing chest, just beating out of time
I guess we'll both survive
Some demons you can't exercise
I wrote it down to wish you well
On the taxicab back to your hotel
The song "Promise of the West" by The Jealous Sound tells a story of a failed love affair between two people who were once deeply connected. The lyrics paint a picture of a desolate and lonely place, perhaps Los Angeles, referred to as "promise of the west," where the singer finds himself reflecting on what once was. He takes note of the surroundings, describing how things look different during the day than they do at night, how the town feels empty and he can't break the gaze of the wild eyes.
The singer then addresses his former lover, acknowledging that what they had was more than just a fleeting romance. Despite this, his lover wanted to continue the relationship while he didn't. He's aware that he wasn't strong enough for both of them and decides to leave, letting his former lover know that he wishes them well. He notes that despite the relationship not working out, he wishes nothing but the best for his former partner.
The song ends with the singer reflecting on the cicada's song, which he describes as vibrations of loneliness and desperation. He knows that some demons can't be exercised, but he writes everything down, wishing his former partner well as they leave in a taxi back to their hotel.
Overall, the song tells a bittersweet story of two people who couldn't make their love work, set against the backdrop of a desolate place. The lyrics are introspective, and the melody adds to the overall melancholic tone that the song emanates.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the first one on the right
Referring to a building, the first one on the right is being pointed out
Looks different now than it does at night
The appearance of the building changes when observed during the day and night
Palms to glass, like a town
Hands pressed against the glass window, creating an image of being in a city or town
The taxicab back to your hotel
A ride in a taxi to take someone back to their hotel
And it was more
Their relationship was significant and meaningful
Than every now and then
It was more than just a casual fling
Like some endless love affair
Their love was strong and continuous
But you just wanted it again
The desire to relive the experience was one-sided
I left you there, so i'll spare the social grace
The artist left their partner without formalities to avoid further emotional confrontation
I wasn't strong enough for both of us
The artist didn't have the strength to maintain the relationship alone
In this god forsaken place
The place where they were was unpleasant and hopeless
And i wish you well
Despite ending the relationship, the artist still cares for their partner's well-being
And you'd better hold on
A warning to their partner to brace themselves
Couldn't break the gaze of wild eyes
Their partner's intense stare was difficult to ignore
You got it all wrong, couldn't force my will to make you try
Their partner misunderstood the situation and couldn't be convinced to change
And i can feel your racing chest, just pressing down on mine
The intense emotions of their partner were felt by the artist, making them feel suffocated
You couldn't feel what i had found
Their partner didn't understand the depth of their feelings
You always lacked the rope to wrap around
Their partner never had the strength to hold onto the relationship
You couldn't be the one, you couldn't be the one
Their partner was not capable of being the ideal companion
You couldn't call or come to me
Their partner failed to reach out to them
I sang it out, you sang it back to me
The two communicated through music, with one initiating and the other echoing
Sang it back to me, sang it back to me
Emphasizing the repetition of communication from before
Cicadas' song, wasn't really a song at all
The sound of cicadas was not music but rather an expression of their loneliness
Just vibrations of its loneliness
The sound of cicadas was a reflection of their isolation
Like some desperation call
The sound of cicadas was likened to a cry for help
So leave me here, like some unwelcome guest
The singer feels unwelcome and wants to be alone
But you abandoned both of us, in this promise of the west
Their partner left them alone in this new place, despite the promise of having a bright future in the West
Promise me the best, but i wish you well
Despite feeling betrayed, the artist still hopes the best for their partner
And you'd better hold on
Repeating the earlier warning to brace themselves
Couldn't break the gaze of wild eyes
Their partner's intense stare still affects them
You got it all wrong, couldn't force my will to make you try
The situation remains the same, with their partner still refusing to consider their perspective
And i can feel your racing chest, just beating out of time
The artist can feel the palpitations of their partner's heart, which are out of sync with their own
I guess we'll both survive
Despite the challenges, they will survive separately
Some demons you can't exercise
There are some emotional demons that cannot be conquered
I wrote it down to wish you well
The singer wrote a letter to express their desire for their partner to be happy
On the taxicab back to your hotel
The letter was written during the taxi ride back to their partner's hotel
Writer(s): Shehan, Benito, Penn
Contributed by Sophie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SunbleachedVisuals
easily one of my favorite bands since the early 2000's. so glad they are part of the rise family now!
Eric Loeschen
Saw them the other day with balance and composure, they put on a good show
Robert Chestnut
Sounds like they're trying to do something new....I LIKE IT!
doevamp
Not what I was expecting when I saw Rise uploaded something new. Nice stuff!
bestviewmusic
You're so cool man. This is actually my favorite song on the album. I'm going to see them tonight and I'm sure it's going to rock. If you'd like I can share useless information just like you. It's easy.
Laura Huizar
This band...holy shit. I love this. I picked the right day to discover this. :D
Abi
That was beautiful :)
Eric Loeschen
Who cares if it fits with the other bands on the label, it's good that they are getting some different sounding music.
Kenneth Medina
ok, for the people that thinks this is a new band: you should check yourself. And for the people that now about TJS and Knapsack: congrats! you know your shit. This band is awesome and MUST be heard by everyone, if you're into The American Scene, Hey Mercedes, and shit like that, you NEED to listen to this record or die.
Eye Byte Music
Good stuff right here!