Best of Month: AotY #4: Future Teen's "Self Help" via Triple Crown

 

Being a New England girl my entire life and suddenly living on the west coast has been quite a change. Everyone’s nicer out here, things are more accessible, not everything feels so small town so there’s less eyes on you and yet? There’s plenty I miss back east. The food can’t compare between the two, having new found solidarity with my family I miss them all of a sudden but also I miss the local bands! Now sure, I’m from Rhode Island, but I always considered myself Massachusetts as far as a scene goes. Boston especially, it’s where I went to see most shows! These days, my favorite east coast bands are ones I’ve never even gotten to see live, with Future Teens being at the top of them all.


When I got to my new home base I had poured my heart into a review then decided I needed a break from music for a while. I never really stopped listening, I just needed to give my head a rest from anything new. So, for a while, I lived that way. I didn’t listen to any new music. When “BYOB” dropped I let my guard down. I tried something new; instead of just throwing the track on while I stared at the ceiling or idly scrolled my socials I watched the music video. Imagine, consuming art in its most holistic form? To no surprise to myself I fell in love with this song, I think it was my favorite song by this band at the time. I listened to it several times a day. I had it stuck in my head and sang it walking around the house. I had fallen back in love with art.


When the entire record dropped I found there was so much more to love. The thing that strikes me about Future Teens is how their lyrics aren’t even really lyrics sometimes. On songs like “Stress Dream” we listen to a rambling on the most boring panic ridden day of your life. On “Well Enough” (which, I might add, is my new favorite song of theirs) we hear someone talk about mindlessly wandering their local Target and trying to stave off a drinking problem. All of this over some of the best, most heartfelt indie rock you’ve heard in your life. Melodies so entrancing you will 100% find yourself singing them to yourself a couple hours after the fact.


That and the outro, heart breaking in its own way, talks about departing from one phase of your life and gives you the sense that while it's time to move on you have to be honest with yourself; you’re going to miss what you had. I do miss what I had. There’s plenty of times I find myself saying “hey, I can totally get Spike’s tomorrow. Maybe ask Victoria to come on the drive with me even though she doesn’t eat meat.” Except I can’t, because that’s a life I left three thousand miles away. Don’t get me wrong; my life is fucking awesome right now. Yet I still find myself wishing for creature comfort. I can always visit and make memories just like that in my new home. In fact, I think I already have.


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