A collection of melancholy pop-rock anthems

Is there any better feeling than bopping your head to music that really seems to get it? Of course not, and The Greeting Committee’s latest album is a perfect mix of insecurities, ambitions and catchy choruses to do exactly that. Everyone’s Gone and I Know I’m the Cause blends downer lyrics with light, atmospheric beats to to truly capture the discord between reality and hope; and, in doing so, captures the essence of what makes indie-rock incredible.

The album’s second track, “popmoneyhits,” is a thesis for the songs that succeed it. It features the theme of ambition heavily, as mentioned earlier, but as a result of insecurity. “Maybe if I make all the money, I could afford to be, anything other than angry” are the first lyrics of the song. They evoke a desperation for more, with the idea that maybe it would salve their pain. The chorus exclaims “I want, dirty dirty rich, babe” and “I want, pop money hits, babe.” Through the accruement of riches and fame maybe they could finally be satisfied. Their art, the music, is secondary to the desire for more. Simply creating art is not enough, people have to recognize it and, most importantly, validate its quality for it to mean anything. This simply morose message, combined with the dreamy backtrack and breathy singing of the band and lyricist, makes “popmoneyhits” an approachable track for an early afternoon dive into some deep feelings.

“How it Goes” breaks the mold and allows the music to match the lyrics in tone. While still not necessarily sad, the heavy presence of bass guitars and a reverbed synth give it a more downcast vibe than the other songs. The track is a single complete thought as the lyricist laments the difficulty of maintaining joy. “I was on the brink of it, something like happiness. If I call it what it is, will I lose it?” It’s a somber reminder of the work that goes into a happy life, and its fragility. Fear seems to be the core element of the narrator’s repeated failure. “I’m drawn to suffocate. Don’t want to anticipate. I’m afraid of everything that moves.” A tendency to sabotage, to “suffocate,” is a damning spiral. The song’s commitment to this theme of depression sets it apart from the others.

Everyone’s Gone and I Know I’m the Cause peels back the thin veneer of a musician’s persona. It’s real, it’s honest, it reminds its listener of the people behind the music. The Greeting Committee achieved an important goal. It’s common to view idols as just that, an idol, to forget that behind the makeup and stage lights is a person. Is it not this feeling of humanity that makes indie-rock and its peers so enjoyable? To know that one is being given a human experience they can relate to? Everyone’s Gone and I Know I’m the Cause is a fantastic album, both for its tracks and as an example of music’s great power.