It’s 2007 and I was enveloped by a music-sharing and news site; PureVolume.com. It was my paradise. As a teenager, this website made me feel like I had the whole music industry at my fingertips. I would spend hours of my days scrolling through artists. I would discover so many artists on that site. Hell, this very blog has its foundations in that website. I would go on to set up a listener account and the site used to have a section where you could make posts to discuss the music world. It was a cosy little section of the internet, where I first learned to express my thoughts and feelings about music. In this blissful little world, I would discover some of my favourite artists. Honestly, it was my first real go at attempting to form my own music taste. I was the youngest of three children, so for the longest time, if my older siblings said that a band or artist was cool, I would too. If they disliked them, I would equally follow suit.
I will say for the purposes of this article. That PureVolume is no longer the same website. Today it’s a shadow of its former self. However, nearly eight years it was honestly my favourite website and the start of me becoming the music nerd you’re here for on this blog today.
In 2010 PureVolume published its Best Albums of The Year list. One of those albums was the self-titled album from a small indie-rock act from Long Island, New York, The Narrative. That album, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything like it before. That album gave me an emotional experience, unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life. Honestly, it still puts a lump in my throat. I think it was needed in my life. Up until that point, I listened to three things, heavy metal, hard rock and pop punk (and literally any song that played on the TV Show One Tree Hill). So, a deep personal introspective album by two incredibly talented musicians who can express themselves on record what it takes people years to figure out about themselves. Something, stirred in my brain that day. Something, that made me want to venture out into the musical landscape. With the band releasing new music, I thought it would be time to write a full dedication to their music and why you should listen to The Narrative.
The Narrative consist of two musicians. Guitarist, Jesse Gabriel and Keyboardist, Suzie Zeldin. Both of them share vocal responsibilities. The pair met after Gabriel put out an ad on Craigslist to find musicians to collaborate with. The two started collaborating, originally calling themselves January Widow. Even releasing demos to their then MySpace page under that band name. They went through various band names but eventually settled on The Narrative. To be honest, I like that name. It’s simplistic, yes but so immediately recognisable. I think it’s a better fit as their music really is a narrative. They tell stories with their music. Stories that stay in your head and the way the pair bounce off of one another are, still to this day, a work of magic!
I think in their core this is a band of two halves. The experimental indie soft rock is bound together with melody and harmony. Then you have the loud pop-punk-influenced hard rock. Both of which the band pull off really well. The way that can manoeuvre in and out of the two sounds the more you realise just how diverse and eclectic their sound is. The way they shift gears is so cool to listen to and something that always keeps me coming back for more. From the loud and bombastic tracks like “You Will Be Mine” and “Moving Out”, the infectious pop melodies of “Fade” and “Chasing A Feeling”, the spaced-out sound of “California Sun” and “I’ve Been Thinking” and the deep and introspective “I Can Make A Mess” and “The Photographers Daughter”. No matter what you listen to from their catalogue, you’ll find something that would suit your ears. The central core of the band is the two captivating souls, Jesse and Suzie. Their dynamic is completely engrossing. Be it Suzie singing the lead vocals or Jesse, the collaborative work they put in creates pure magic from song to song.
The first time I got to listen to them was that first full-length album, which was self-titled. I still put that album on rotation every now and then and I can’t believe just how well it’s held up over the years. The crisp drums snap, the well-played and emotional guitars, the keys that are played with such grace and beauty. Man, I love this album so damn much. I know this album like the back of my hand. I know every word, every key change, every riff. This album quite literally is a big part of my life. If you see me walking on a dark night in my home town. There’s a good bet you’ll hear me singing “Winter’s Coming” or “Starving For Attention”. The songs are just always going to live in my head and soul. I think what it is about this album that gets me so much is the self-examining nature of the lyrics. The way you can tell so much about Jesse and Suzie simply from the lyrics they put into their songs.
This is something that transcends their entire discography. From their debut EP to their newest material that they’ve been slowly releasing. Every inch of their musicality is loaded with personal, deep and sometimes picturesque language. No matter which song, every time you listen to them you feel like you’ve learned a little more about them as people, and that’s pretty wonderful if you ask me! I think my favourite type of songs they do are the, for lack of a better term, story songs. The song “The Photographer's Daughter” from the first EP, Just Say Yes. The way these songs are crafted is ingenious. The Photographer's Daughter is the story of depression, sadness and the cold bitterness of a life turned sour. It’s played with earnest sincerity and sung with such a melancholy tone by Jesse, then when Suzie’s vocal harmonies come in, it just adds this uplifting quality and makes the song less dour. That last verse is so heartbreaking it hurts. The line “And he asked for the end of a life, When he swept all the sorrow inside.” leaves you with such a cold, sad feeling. I think I got choked up the first time I listened to it. The song is a stand-out of the EP for me. In fact, that EP in general is something special.
Moving back to the self-titled album. There were some songs that I only really started to understand later in my life. “Silence and Sirens”, “Cherry Red” and “Fade” all of which are scathing remarks on the end of relationships. In particular “Fade”. This song depicts a relationship in its bitter-end stages, where neither party wants to move on but they are under the realisation that nothing they are doing is working anymore. There’s something so interesting about this song. Even though it’s by far their most jovial and catchy-sounding chorus. The words “If we don't leave now, we will break; We will falter, we will fade” hit you like a tonne of bricks as the lyrics to the verses layer details about the relationship in its damaged and bruised state “And drinking is no excuse; It's an easy one to use; When lack of self-control has left you making poor decisions for yourself”. The album is filled with the little songwriter details that when you hear them, you find yourself not just listening to a song, but taking in an experience.
The Narrative would release a follow-up not too long later, however, this was not an album of new music it was B-Sides and Seasides. It was mostly packed with alternate takes and acoustic versions of the previously released songs. There were two original tracks “Hallelujah” and “Make It Right” and two covers. One is a version of “Tautou” from Brand New. The other is a cover of the Radiohead classic “Karma Police”. This cover is probably my favourite thing on this record. Their version of Karma Police is really something else. A completely stripped-back version with just Jesse on acoustic guitar and Suzie on piano, both of them sharing the vocals in the most beautiful harmonies. For me a good cover is one that completely redefines the original, this one does. For me, this is the definitive version of “Karma Police”. They take the original and completely change it to fit their own personal style. All while, capturing the original heart of the Radiohead version.
Moving forward in time, the band would take a bit of a break of four years. In 2016, they would return with the second (technically third) full-length album, Golden Silence. With this album, the band would completely reinvent themselves. Rather than the loud alt-rock, reminiscent of the early-2010’s pop-punk. They would convert themselves into more of a power-pop act with indie-rock elements. Songs like “Moving Out” and “Already Changed” are the louder rock songs. Whereas they would turn to more electro-pop with tunes like “Chasing A Feeling”, “California Sun” and “Oklahoma Air”. Some songs would start soft and melodic and end with a chaotic fury of their original rock sound like “Toe The Line” and “I Can Make A Mess”. At first, this album didn’t keep me as entranced as the self-titled. However, it would soon grow on me. To the point where some of these songs have risen in my opinion to that of the other albums and EP’s. My favourite song on this album is “Already Changed”. I think the production of this track stands out to me with the pulsating, pushing beat that acts as the living heartbeat of the song. The poetic lyrics are delivered with incredible harmony. The track feels invigorating and lively. It has a pulse and incredible imagination.
This album has such a different vibe from their previous material. It feels like the pair took what they learned in their early career and elevated it. There wasn’t this massive rush or panic to put out new material for the sake of it. This album has a much more cerebral and mature sound. I also feel that the harmonies worked so much better on this one. It feels more like an even effort as if there was more of an effort to incorporate both of the duo’s talents. Honestly, this is the kind of music that makes me feel all warm inside. Especially the almost trance or psychedelic feel of “California Sun”. Even though it doesn’t have a chorus per se, it does have a hook. The beautiful flow of the choral line remains stuck in my head and every time I play it on rotation it gives me the chills each and every time.
The band would remain silent for a few years. However, in the last couple of years, The Narrative has slowly been releasing new material. Once again, it feels like they have completely reinvented their sound again. It really feels like they have complete creative freedom to run with whatever ideas come to mind. Some of the songs feel like they’re from B-Sides and Seasides and some feel wholly original. Though I haven’t grown the same love affair with these newer tracks, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time. Much like Golden Silence stole my heart, I have a feeling that this new sound will engross me just as much. Whether it’s the contemplative “Monoliths” or the spacey and far away “On The Ride”, this new era of the band is just as exciting and interesting as they have been previously. It’s music that reinvigorates my soul. It’s funny that even ten-plus years later on, this band still gives me that sense of calm. Yes, I'm eagerly awaiting their new EP, New Anxieties.
So, I’ve been banging on about them for just over 2000 words now. You may be asking yourself, why should you listen to them? Other than discovering something new. I think there’s something rather intriguing about their sound. Through their unique pairing of poetic lyricsm and diverse musicianship, their music puts some large questions of life into perspective. Hang with me here. They don’t make general sweeping statements about the human condition. Instead they focus from the perspective of their dueling members. The stories that they have crafted into their music, can make, you the listener, all the more aware about the decisions you’ve made in your life. Listening to their music is like having a conversation with a friend. Not necessarily any wiser or more experienced than you, but someone you respect. You can take a note from them, heed their advice and apply it to your own life.
Most of all, I just want you to experience them and fall in love with them the way I have. When I listen to The Narrative I’m transported back to that time where I could just browse the internet and be introduced to new music. Left, right and centre. A time when I didn’t have that responsibility. Yet, just as I’m not the same person as I was in 2010, nor are The Narrative. They’ve grown and matured. They’ve had new experiences to write about. They been through life and, just like any good songwriter, they reflect the world around them and translate it all through their filter. I think that’s what I appreciate about them the most. Their willingness to look beyond their own style and genre and make tweeks and changes, all while remaining true to their own core. The way they bring stories to life and bring you into their world. I just appreciate them so damn much.
Their music will be a persistent part of my rotation and something that I will always appreciate. Yes, I know this whole thing has been a glorified PR piece but I hope you believe me when I say I have not been paid to write a single word. In reality, I just wanted to write this one. I needed to say it and I needed it for you to read it. I wanted you to listen to these songs that mean so much to me. Songs that have gotten me through some particularly tough times and music that calms me down after the harshest things in life are thrown at me. In this, I hope that I could introduce you to something that has had such a profound effect on me.
CHECK OUT THE NARRATIVE