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
Tests on My Heart
Umbrellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think that maybe they would start believing
All the stories that I tell them
Like how sometimes I can barely breathe
For no apparent reason other than I thought some bad thoughts
These nerves are falling apart
And my fingernails stay short
I keep telling myself "You've got to get over yourself"
I don't want you to save me
'Cause what if you did, you'd succeed
And then you would get bored and leave
I'd be back at square one
And that is such a bad place to begin
We sent all of our sins into the sea
And we set it on fire, we're an island now
I don't know if I can take the pressure it creates
To be a self-sustaining industry
So we'll tell ourselves we've got what it takes
And all we need is a little time to dry off
I don't want you to save me
'Cause what if you did, you'd succeed
And you would leave
I'd be back at square one
And that is such a bad place to begin
In Umbrellas' song "Tests on My Heart," the lyrics seem to tell a story of someone struggling with their mental health and fears of being vulnerable with others. The singer suggests that if doctors were to test their heart, they would see the physical toll that their anxiety and depression have taken on their body. The lyrics convey the feeling of being lost and overwhelmed, with the singer admitting that they are struggling to keep themselves together. The lines "I keep telling myself 'You've got to get over yourself'" suggest that the singer is aware that their struggles may sometimes feel insignificant and small, but they still hold a great weight.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the singer does not want to be saved by someone else, as they fear the consequences of relying on others for their happiness. The line "And then you would get bored and leave" suggests that the singer believes they are not worth the effort and that others will eventually leave them. This fear of abandonment and rejection is a common theme in mental health struggles and is likely relatable to many listeners. The song ends with the singer expressing a desire for independence and self-sufficiency, but also an acknowledgment that the pressure of doing everything alone can be overwhelming. The line "And all we need is a little time to dry off" suggests that the singer recognizes that healing takes time and that they are willing to work towards that.
Line by Line Meaning
If they did tests on my heart
If doctors analyzed my feelings
I think that maybe they would start believing
I believe they would finally trust what I'm saying
All the stories that I tell them
The tales that I reveal to them
Like how sometimes I can barely breathe
Such as when I struggle to inhale
For no apparent reason other than I thought some bad thoughts
Without any apparent reason except negative feelings
These nerves are falling apart
My anxiety is causing my nerves to deteriorate
And my fingernails stay short
I keep biting my nails in anxiety
I keep telling myself "You've got to get over yourself"
I frequently remind myself to overcome my insecurities
We sent all of our sins into the sea
We cast all our wrongdoings away
And we set it on fire, we're an island now
Our mistake-free state now isolates us
I don't know if I can take the pressure it creates
I'm not certain I can handle the weight of maintaining that state
To be a self-sustaining industry
To sustain ourselves on our own
So we'll tell ourselves we've got what it takes
We'll convince ourselves that we're capable
And all we need is a little time to dry off
And that all we require is a bit of time to recover
I don't want you to save me
I don't want your help to fix me
'Cause what if you did, you'd succeed
Because if you did, you would fulfill your obligation
And then you would get bored and leave
But after that, you may become disinterested and depart
I'd be back at square one
I would be left where I started
And that is such a bad place to begin
This is an unfavorable situation to be in
Contributed by Gabriella V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.