JOSHUA BATTEN RELEASES NEW ALBUM ‘LEARN TO LIVE AGAIN’
‘Learn to Live Again,’ the new album by Joshua Batten is a self-described “musical journey through neurodiversity.”
Batten’s ‘Learn to Live Again’ (LTLA) allegedly chronicles his own experience in the music industry as someone on the autism spectrum and how the recent pandemic has persuaded him to re-evaluate his ambitions.
We begin with the initial ‘Prologue’ of the album. At two minutes long, this is a short burst of instrumental evocation. The violin section, albeit treading on the longer side of a lead-in to lyrical introduction, provides a more serious and orchestral vibe to what is to come.
Heavy Road is reminiscent of something one might hear in that moment of a rom-com where the teenage loser gets crowned prom queen and the popular jock finally realises he’s in love with her. It’s oddly uplifting despite it’s very early 2010s country-rock feel. As the song progresses to the three minute mark, it really sediments itself into the most southern side of country-rock. This is definitely a tune you could mindlessly sing along to with the windows down on a summer evening in Montana.
“I am aware that a lot has been written in and about the pandemic, but the emotions I talk about in these songs were underlying issues I was dealing with even before 2020. Feelings such as anger, anxiety, nostalgia, fear of the unknown, routine, burnout, and impostor syndrome. The pandemic exposed these feelings to more members of the public, not just those on the Autism Spectrum.”
- Joshua Batten
’Waiting For the Moment’ was pleasantly surprising. Having expected the album to be almost entirely rooted in country-rock, this track was a spanner in the works. The guitars at the very beginning could have been a little thicker and more authentic. Think— more crunch— more raw, grinding axe-ness. It would just add to the overall progressive rock overcoat. ‘WFTM’ gives off a vibe similar to if the Arctic Monkeys were even more pissed off at the world. The overlaying harmonies at the end of the song, in its final minutes, were a fantastic touch to an already incredibly impressive song.
Onto the fourth track, ‘Fortress.’ The marching band-esque drums were again, a pleasant surprise. You almost don’t know what to expect next with this album. It’s not one to easily place in just any genre. Our guitar melody is interesting and although generic, is still potentially ear-worm worthy. At the four minute mark we introduce what sounds like a science fiction sound effect from a keyboard. It has an interesting effect on the song. On one hand, it’s unique and different— which progressive rock relies pretty heavily on. On the other hand, one can question whether it fits with the lyrics and intended meaning behind the track. For its pace and its lack of build-up, nearly-seven minutes may be pushing the boundaries. Anthems tend to run longer but they also tend to continually build. ‘Fortress’ is a decent and pleasant enough listen if you want an unusual but somewhat lo-fi country vibe.
“The story does not conclude with the end of the pandemic, but rather with me accepting that dreams and ambitions change over time, and I’m the only one with the power to control my destiny. There is still room to grow, and I may have to go through this journey again one day, which is why the album starts and ends in the same key to give it a cyclical nature. But with better habits and a healthy mind, I can work towards becoming the best version of myself.” - Joshua Batten
‘Everybody’s Story’ has yet another interesting start which can instantly remind somebody of a slightly more country Cat Stevens feel. The timpani-esque keyboard melody brings it slightly forward to that mid-80s feel, which overall contributes to the nostalgia that this track evokes. The lyrics have greatly improved in this song. There’s more depth, more meaning behind the word. It doesn’t sound like Batten is trying to fill empty lines, it sounds like he has a message to convey and he’s choosing his words very carefully to be able to do so. Overall, it’s a nostalgic ride to my childhood and I’m 100% on board.
Just when you thought ‘Waiting For The Moment’ was the favourite of this album, in comes ‘Oh, Britannia.’ There are heavy MIKA vibes and you are instantly transported back to the late 2000s pop era that brought the world those absolute bops that everybody knows all the lyrics too even two decades later. The lyrics of ‘Oh, Britannia’ absolutely tear the monarchy a new one. It’s a giant middle finger to the autocracy and we’re here for it. The guitar laden instrumental lends heavy influence from the early, glorious days of Queen (and not Elizabeth II).
‘Learn To Live Again’ (track) begins slow and soft. The acoustic guitar and a gentle piano melody is an interesting enough come down from the previous track (Oh, Britannia). The vocals in ‘Learn To Live Again’ are impressive and the use of subdued instruments to lend more power to the vocal range and talent was a smart choice.
Following the title track, we come to ‘Burnout.’ While the lyrics are relatable and the message of the song is something anyone can empathise with, ‘Burnout’ almost feels like a mix of ‘Learn to Live Again’ and ‘Heavy Road.’ Again, the track settles nicely into country-rock, but really teeters on the line of the latter.
Moving right along to ‘Give Up The Throne’ — we get a interest-piquing beginning with the solo guitar riff in the right headphone. Going back to ‘Oh, Britannia,’ which was reminiscent of an earlier Queen track— we could easily argue that ‘Give Up The Throne’ is reminiscent of a later Queen track. Throughout there are thick vocals and reverberation that almost gives off the vibe of a crowd mosh-pit at a rock concert. The drummer is heavy on the toms, and for a refreshing change in the genre, is not over-using the hi-hats and crashes. Even if the lyrics aren’t too intrusive or thought-provoking, who cares? ‘Give Up the Throne’ is such a blood-pumping track that it doesn’t matter what he’s saying— but you definitely agree.
‘Circuit Breaker’ is progressive rock through and through. It gives a four-guys-in-their-garage-just-playing-music vibe and it’s a welcome change. However, to have to wait a minute and fifteen seconds for the first verse in a two-and-a-half minute song is probably a little too long. Either the song itself needs to be extended to give more time for additional verses, a bridge or two and a few choruses to end on, or the song needs to be entirely instrumental.
You will need to get comfortable before listening to ‘Existential Guardian’. At just shy of fourteen minutes long, you expect to be taken on a rollercoaster of both emotions and instrumental genius. Hopes lift at around the one-minute mark as the piano progression and vocals pointed to some soon-to-come heavy drums and fist-pumping ‘in your face’ lyrics. When this didn’t come, immediately it was a little disappointing. But you aren’t disappointed for long, because then the guitars and bass come in with a few punchy chords.
‘Existential Guardian’ sounds eerily similar to Sam Smith’s ‘Writings On The Wall.,’ only minus the fact that that was obviously written for a James Bond movie. Heavy piano & the occasional minor chord or note that gives you the uneasy, unsure feeling in the pit of your stomach. The lyrics, when isolated, are not as impressive as the other tracks. Specifically when it seems that Batten may be angling for an anthem with ‘Existential Guardian',’ and lyrically, it falls flat. Often artists will fall into the trap of creating rhymes before creating a story.
A great philosophy for song-writing is, ‘if the rhyme sounds too good to be true— it probably is’. If we were angling for the anthem route, an increasing in pace and the addition of grungier, heavier guitars and drums would’ve gone a long way into converting this to a more uplifting, crowd-pumping symphony. All in all, ‘Existential Guardian’ is a musical journey in of itself. It’s progressive rock, synth-wave and even in some aspects a little punk-rock.
‘Cut You Adrift’ is the grungy, red-light district rock song we fully expect to see one day in a motion picture. Set the scene— a down on his luck detective drives through the streets of a city he once loved— now plagued with hooligans and lost-souls. That just simply proves that ‘Cut You Adrift’ grants the listener the ability to get lost in their own creativity.
Onto the second last track of the album— ‘Open Box.’ We pop back to the familiar country genre for the next five minutes. The beat is consistent enough and the chorus catchy enough to again, be worthy of an ear-worm tune.
Finally, we end on ‘The End is Not the End'.’ Although this lyrics of ‘The End Is Not The End’ (TEINTE) seem to be painting a happy, nostalgic scene, the violins that begin around forty-seconds in give it a sad, almost melancholic vibe. There’s still a very heavy emphasis on a certain yearning for the past. Rock influences in the final instrumental before the last repetition of the chorus really ferment TIENTE in Batten’s familiar country-rock preference.
Overall, ‘Learn To Live Again’ truly is a musical journey. We explore tracks across a variety of genres and themes. A lot of albums typically alienate most listeners outside of their specific target audience but Learn To Live Again really has tracks for any one person to enjoy— despite musical preference. A fantastic second album from Joshua Batten and we cannot wait to hear what his next creation will be.
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