At the center of every album is a musical thesis. With American Wrestlers self-titled album, we get a collection of music for those moments in your life that are beyond explanation. Perhaps it is the beauty of a sunset you can't put into words. Maybe it is the sudden death of someone you loved dearly. Maybe it is the way your partner makes you feel. Whatever it is, this album possesses a near perfect ability to fill those gaps when words escape you and you're left struggling to explain the moment. Of course, lots of albums could claim this title but someone how this one does it better than most.
To me, it has a poppy sentimentalism that is often missing from most popular music. It talks and looks back on big subjects without dumbing down the content. Instead, the band discusses adult issues without patronizing those of us who might be listening. This approach is more than welcome and involuntarily caused some introspection for me. At the end of the day, I think this is one of the big things any good form of art tries to accomplish. If it can get you to question your world, great. If it can force you to question yourself, even better.
Because your place in the world matters. How you see yourself matters. How your measure yourself against others and your own expectations matters. When you listen to this album, you may be scratching your head trying to figure out how I came to such statements. That's fair. Maybe it was my mood or what is happening in my own life but in these songs, I saw bigger questions needing to be asked. For such an opportunity, I can only say thanks.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan