THE BIG MOON - HERE IS EVERYTHING
Not shying away from their catchy riffs and soaring vocal harmonies, London four-piece The Big Moon returns with Here Is Everything - 11 tracks brimming with sentiment and an infectious energy the band has become synonymous with since their debut, Love In the 4th Dimension.
Acoustic opener ‘2 Lines’ sets the tone for the album as a whole, a combination of introspective lyrics and instrumentals guaranteed to get people dancing. Lead single ‘Wide Eyes’ perfectly captures the highs and lows of motherhood (with the lead up and eventual birth of Jules Jackson’s child forming the inspiration for the album), seeping with emotional and joy it’s almost impossible not to get a bit giddy listening to it.
‘Magic’ and ‘Daydreaming’ are The Big Moon at their finest, showing off their flawless harmonies and free-spirited, catchy instrumentals. Despite the upbeat sound of the latter track, it’s an ode to the struggles of motherhood and how the rewards are like no other: “Wherever I go, you’re the wind blowing through my mind / Whatever I cared about, don’t mean a thing to me now”.
Though there is a lightness to the album, the band don’t shy away from darkness as tracks like ‘Trouble’ and ‘Sucker Punch’ have a more grunge tone to them, capturing that in motherhood and in life itself everything isn’t always as good as it seems.
Album closer ‘Satellites’ is a lyrical triumph, a beautiful, slightly haunting goose-bump inducing guitar and synth laden track.
It might be about one person’s journey into motherhood but it is also another showcase of the band’s camaraderie. A global pandemic and pregnancy might have pulled them apart but this album brings The Big Moon hurtling back down to Earth. If you’re not completely captivated by it, you’re not listening correctly.
Jen Rose
★★★★★