Preview to Grief Chapter

Musical therapy to get you through an existential crisis

By Vishalli Alagappan

The beloved Vancour-based rock band Mother Mother have released four of tracks to tease their new album “Grief Chapter,” expected to release on February 16, 2024.

The first single released was “Normalize,” an exploration of our own uniqueness and originality in the face of what is considered normal. The main themes are questioning what is considered normal and realizing that parts of you are dying as you give up parts of your ingenuity to blend in. I found verse two intriguing where they talk of painting pain like Frida Kahlo and wondering if it looks like another Picasso— putting the mouth where the eyes and ears go. I interpret this sentiment as the fear of vulnerability bolstered by the fact that your lived experiences may not be unique enough to stand out and creating novelty from performative peculiarity. This is at odds with what is conveyed in the rest of the song, but as someone who doubts the originality and authenticity of my own work, I resonated with these lyrics.

Another song that reminded me why I love this band was “The Matrix.” This song tries to answer the million dollar question: what are you supposed to do with this life? It rejects the determinism of life and weighs the comfort of nihilism against religious existentialism. A lyric that had me absolutely clutching my pearls was “F*ck no to my one sweet life squeezed tight in a vice grip.” I also appreciated the fun guitar riff in the outro.

The other two songs, “Nobody Escapes” and “To My Heart” were not particularly remarkable, but all songs have the typical Mother Mother sound: folksy rock and angelic vocals. If you liked Oh My Heart or Touch Up, I can guarantee that these four songs will make you fall back in love with the band.