UMBRELLAS’ ILLUMINARE
(Latin; meaning to light the way or illustrate.)
When Scott Windsor and the timeless yet refreshing band Umbrellas released their debut self-titled record in 2005, they may not have guessed that one year later, they’d find themselves livening-up a drab, abandoned comedy club—recording songs on giant stages and in refrigerators for their follow-up, Illuminare. Umbrellas’ sophomore Militia Group release was recorded in two solid weeks of near fifteen-hour recording sessions, where Scott and his band’s musings were tested and brought to life.
When Umbrellas’ debut hit the shelves, it was recognized as a dynamic, eager offering. The band toured heavily and new ideas began swimming inside Windsor’s head. Those ideas formed icebergs—and the only option was to dismantle and re-conduct the near-avalanche of visions, abstractions, melodies and structures. The debut, birthed in decidedly artistic, collaborative ways, proved to be an even more cautious outing compared to Illuminare.
Hanging blankets across the empty, dusty and evocative shell of an old comedy club, Scott and his Umbrellas started tracking their new record Illuminare. They went forth in unsafe, less-than secure scenarios with nearby ‘06 tornados in Oklahoma. Scott recalls: “The old comedy club had an odd feel to it. Grossly low-lit, strange hallways, off-color backrooms good for nothing—right there in the middle of downtown Tulsa—dodging tornados in the midst of recording. We constantly heard sirens going off, went outside to piss-green skies, sideways rain and I thought to myself ‘maybe they’ll find these recordings someday after we were all carried off.’ One of the band members’ car was stolen during the recording process by homeless people who stole it just to impress their friends. The van got broken into- we had a stolen hard drive. But bad luck could not stop this record.”
James McAlister (Ester Drang, Sufjan Stevens) played the drums, percussion, programming, and added lively, innovative ideas like sampling Scott’s voice as the keyboard parts for the song “Again and Again.” On the song, Scott sings: “Where’s the piano? The big, big bass drum?” Well, in that song, the piano’s right there in his vocal chords—which were adamantly, angelically bared just as they are on Illuminare. “Most of these songs only had one take on vocals—80% of the record. Every record nowadays, it seems you can find some pretty blonde, put auto-tune on it and just go with it.” Scott modestly adds: “I’m not the best singer but at least when you see us live, what you see is what you get and I’m not lying to fans.” And it seems that’s what the general mood and stance of this record: reality, and a sense for the organic, raw, forgotten sentiments. In the song “Tests on My Heart, Windsor sings of ‘getting over the self,’ recording in the aforementioned refrigerator with cold vocal-shadows and a Vaudevillian piano interlude. Illuminare grapples with notions of solitude, life, death, and the plain old blues. Scott sings of realistic love, infatuation, satisfaction, disappointment, life-balance, the letting-go, appeasement, idealism, and grace—all with a backdrop of blustery fall-out tunes with strange swirls of sound, smatterings of echoes and pulsings, huge bass hammerings and bells to chime the gladness in being right there where one’s supposed to be. Weathering the storms, and taking on the shadows and memories of calmer times and warmer rooms.
The players: Chad Copelin (producer, keys, guitar, bass), Nathan Price (drums, percussion), Eric Arndt (bass), Scott Windsor (vocals, guitars, percussion) James McAlister (drums, percussion, programming), Ryan Lindsey (piano, background vocals)
Scott 09 Sep 2006
Taken from their Website:
www.umbrellasmusic.com
Emergency
Umbrellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my left hand shakes
Against your new couch
Control of the situation
Fell through my fingers
I heard her say :
"You can't keep living as if you're dying"
Well, I'm dying
Now in an awkward way
To spend the holiday
In such a deviant way to behave
Its amazing how quiet this house is
When the world outside,
It celebrates their new years
And their new fears
Your addiction is okay,
'Cause its manically approved
And the night has expired
Lay me down to sleep
But one more thing can you say diction
And admit my guilt, emergency
And emergency
Its whispered at night
Now in an awkward way
To spend the holiday
In such a deviant way to behave
Its amazing how quiet this house is
When the world outside,
It celebrates their new years
And their new fears
The song "Emergency" by Umbrellas seems to be about a person struggling with addiction and their inability to control their actions. The opening lines seem to hint at this as the singer tells themselves to be patient, possibly indicating a previous attempt at recovery. However, their hand shakes with anxiety on their partner's new couch, indicating that they've relapsed. The loss of control seems to be a recurring theme throughout the song, as the person tries to assert control over their addiction but ultimately fails.
The chorus then delves into the loneliness and isolation that come with addiction. The singer describes spending a holiday in a "deviant way to behave" and how quiet their house is compared to the loud celebrations happening outside. This suggests that the person is struggling with not only addiction but also isolation and feeling disconnected from the outside world.
The second verse further emphasizes the struggles of addiction when the singer says, "Your addiction is okay, 'cause its maniacally approved." This could be interpreted as society's acceptance of certain addictions, such as alcohol or cigarettes, that can lead to a false sense of security for those struggling with addiction. The request to "admit my guilt" at the end of the verse suggests that the person is aware of the damage their addiction is causing and seeking help.
Overall, "Emergency" paints a poignant picture of the struggles of addiction and the feeling of isolation that comes with it. The song seems to seek connection and understanding from others while also acknowledging the difficulty in breaking the cycle of addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
I always tell myself to be patient
I try to calm myself down, but it's difficult.
But my left hand shakes
I'm anxious and nervous, and it's showing physically.
Against your new couch
I'm in an uncomfortable situation in your fancy new home.
Control of the situation
I thought I had control, but everything is slipping away.
Fell through my fingers
I lost my grip on the situation and everything is falling apart.
I heard her say :
Someone told me this important thing.
"You can't keep living as if you're dying"
You can't keep living recklessly, like you have nothing to lose.
Well, I'm dying
But I feel like I am dying inside.
Now in an awkward way
The situation is uncomfortable and embarrassing.
To spend the holiday
It's supposed to be a time of celebration and joy.
In such a deviant way to behave
But our behavior is not normal or acceptable.
Its amazing how quiet this house is
Even though it's a holiday, there is no noise or celebration in the house.
When the world outside,
While everyone else is celebrating.
It celebrates their new years
The world is ringing in the new year with excitement and hope.
And their new fears
But also with new worries and fears.
Your addiction is okay,
Your destructive behavior is being tolerated and excused.
'Cause its manically approved
Everyone is pretending like it's normal and okay.
And the night has expired
The night has ended, and it's time to rest.
Lay me down to sleep
I want to sleep and forget about everything.
But one more thing can you say diction
But before I rest, can you acknowledge the truth?
And admit my guilt, emergency
Can you help me confront and deal with my wrongdoing?
And emergency
It's an emergency, and I need help.
Its whispered at night
I am struggling and asking for help in secret, during the night.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SCOTT WINDSOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SCB
Man, I haven't heard this in years. Thanks for uploading!
SCB
Yeah, it's been about ten or so for me as well. Man, time is weird.
Taylor Craig
Hah, tenish for me. Good tunes though honestly; I'm surprised how much I like this stuff still.
Eduardo Lovo
dude, can you upload the complete album?
LinnYC
good song.