The record contains everything the band does well: there are anthemic arena sing-a-longs ("Believe," "Big Decisions"), left-field rockers ("Spring,""Tropics"), R&B-inflected grooveouts ("Compound Fracture"), falsetto love songs ("Thin Line"), acoustic apologies ("Get the Point"), and exquisite, extended guitar jams ("Only Memories Remain"). James' lead vocals have never been stronger, ranging across multiple genres and deliveries, infusing a sense of lessons-learned optimism into each song. Carl Broemel's guitar leads are as inviting as your neighbor's front porch, as usual, and the band's keyboardist, Bo Koster, deserves special mention for providing the best work of his career, driving texture and vintage atmosphere into many of the tracks.
Recorded at a hilltop studio in Stinson Beach, California, and featuring artwork depicting Vernal Fall in Yosemite, James described the record's naturalistic imagery:
It's related to being connected to nature. Literally being surrounded by trees and creatures every time we walked out of the studio doors. Every evening around sunset we would stop what we were doing and walk outside to watch the sun descend, like an enormous egg yolk slowly smashing down in a psychedelic wash of color, much like the colors of the waterfall on the album cover. Those images, the smell of ocean air and the openness of it all, seeped into every aspect of this record.
The end result is an aural depiction of nature's regeneration. The wounds we receive are real, the band reminds us, but we receive healing through faith, togetherness, and appreciation for the narrow seasons we get to spend together.
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