At the center of every album is a musical thesis. For Nude Beach and their album, “II,” the thesis is focused squarely on one of the great paradoxes of human existence. A state of being so indescribable that every song, piece of poetry, book, and artform attempts to define it. A feeling we’ve all experienced in some form or fashion. Love! No other idea except love could be it. For Nude Beach, their attention first turns to the idea of losing love; something which we all can relate except they sing about it with a raw and real angst.
Once they’ve addressed the idea of losing love, they move onto effortless and easy love. This is the love we are all searching for when we find ourselves swiping left or right. We are looking for a love that just works, feels right, and unfolds naturally. Our inability to find this kind of love easily inspires all those broken heart songs that came to define our teenage years. On the other hand, this search also gives birth to all those songs that fill you with joy.
Finally, Nude Beach talks about a fleeting love. For some, even effortless love isn’t meant to last. These are the truly depressing songs because nothing is worse than finding something meant to last and then have it slip through your fingers. This kind of loss hurts. I think every blues song in the world is about this kind of love. Yet, when we put these three kinds of love together, we begin to understand the human condition. “II” isn’t complicated, but it does a lot of heavy lifting on something we all know.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan
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