Upheaval of Emotional Vacancies
I. Crescent
American blues-rock band Tedeschi Trucks Band based in Jacksonville, Florida have released I Am the Moon to be divided into four albums with 24 tracks and two hours worth of listening. I Am The Moon is a poem that describes love, faith, isolation and conflictive struggles. The first portion of I Am The Moon: I. Crescent is a front-row seat to listen to the creative elements stemming from the restlessness and woes of the pandemic era.
The first single on this album is— coincidentally enough—called “I Am The Moon.” It is a bluesy ballad with a contemplative personification of being a stone (moon) compared to a burning star, which in this case would be the sun. The track burns up in multiple areas with a gritty and groaning guitar verse and supporting lyrics such as “I am the moon / you are the sun / and look at you / flaming out in front of everyone.” Tedeschi Trucks Band have poetic justice on their side by already describing a predestined love affair between the sun and moon.
“Hear My Dear” is a strong, reflective track based heavily on forgiveness, finding the right path again and mending bridges. There is a soulful guitar piece that bends and picks its way throughout the track to give it the right momentum throughout the entire song.
“Fall In” is a track that automatically gives the impression of good times at a jazzy blues bar with all the devil in the details, a mischievous saxophone and lingering guitar pieces dance around each other’s symphony to create a spontaneous song and dance with full glasses, popcorn stares and the declared rambling until the break of dawn. Wrapping up with the lyrics “You ride ’em on a western rail / turn us ’round by the tail / we’ll follow you straight to hell”.
Tedeschi Trucks Band’s first album in the series, I Am The Moon: I. Crescent, is the epitome of bluesy grit with clear poetic justice and playful musical pieces that make for a unique experience.
II. Ascension
Tedeschi Trucks Bands brings it once again with Part two out of four, I Am The Moon: II. Ascension. This one has a mellower element then I Am The Moon: I. Crescent but the soul of it remains the same.
The first track, “Playing with my emotions,” is one that hints at a more obvious meaning, simply spelling out the frustrations of an emotional tug-a-war. While the lyrics scream frustration the musical element is rather upbeat. Tedeschi Trucks Band use this track to show off their hand in showcasing interesting musical sounds combining saxophone, drums and guitar.
“Ain’t it something” is thematic and tells its story exactly how it should be told, with piquing song verses and a backing chorus. They rely heavily on the saxophone to put emphasis on a certain lyric or portion of the song that supports the intentions of the song. For example, an attentive guitar lift on the lyric “Can’t slow down when time keeps coming” is like the hammer on the nail to secure what Tedeschi Trucks Band has laid out musically.
“All The Love” is a love song to love with an enthusiastic drum intro with an emphasis in putting care into such a fragile thing. Susan Tedeschi sings “If you can find it / so find it / stop taking love for granted.” Tedeschi Trucks Band includes an intricate guitar solo that is elaborate, clean and intentional.
“So Long Savior” is a foreboding track with a gospel type theme, with references to fire, water and the ark. It is a dramatic setup to something a little darker that is a possible predecessor to part three of four, I Am The Moon: III. The Fall.
I Am The Moon: II. Ascension was a new chapter with a more mature aspect from I Am The Moon: I. Crescent as it comes across as the next stage of emotion. Each album is like a staging for the next one until the finale. Ascension was mellow, foreboding, soulful, exciting and gritty. It was everything that it should be.
Leave a Comment