Geeky Things: Window to the Abbey & The Power of Storytelling Through Music

 

Hello and Welcome to Geeky things, in these articles I attempt to steer towards a more conversational tone rather than a review and for today's article I will be discussing with all you lovely geeks, a particular band close to my own heart, Window To the Abbey. 

I'll delve into the stories of the songs and touch upon the subsequent effect that their music has had on me personally. So, without further adieu, let's get into Moving around Bias.

Link to site: https://www.windowtotheabbey.com/ 

Social Medias for Window to the Abbey:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/windowtotheabbey/

The Summer 2018: While browsing YouTube one hot summer day, I stumbled across a song titled "Common Ground" with a picture of voice actor and lead singer, Troy Baker, as the background. Although I wasn't quite sure what I was going to get from clicking on the video as I'd listened to Troy's previous albums "Sitting In the Fire" as well as "Random thoughts on a Paper-napkin."
I absolutely loved the indie/alternative rock tracks, however, "Moving Around Bias" was a far cry from what either former albums were trying to do.  While the past records were more in touch with grunge/punk and various other genres, "Moving Around Bias," aimed to show a deeper and more vulnerable side of life. Instead of Rebelling against the world, Moving Around Bias challenges its listener to delve into the day to day difficulties. This is in fact, The side of life that people in their every-day lives may choose not to deal with Or perhaps they're unable to.
However, the message rings clear in each of the songs, and it is that from Loss, to love, to breakups, and all that falls in-between, the core theme of "Moving Around Bias" is, the beauty of finding comfort through pain.
The more I listened to these songs,  I found myself drawn to discovering what songs, out of the 14 tracks, truly spoke to me personally and here's what I found.

Track 12, "Radio": "Here I'm stuck in traffic. Stuck here in this traffic. Turning on my...Radio. And all I hear is static (2x) Coming through my Radio...Coming through my Radio. To Find You...To Find You..."
Radio, similar to "Hyde Park" or "Something New Under the Sun" is one of three peaceful songs within the album.
When the song begins it starts with a beautifully done piano solo and gradually moves into the lyrics, as simple as they may seem, when paired with their profound melody, it takes me to a day where, everything was going wrong.
From the time of waking and starting the day, it had been one spiraling disaster after the next. In the silence of that day I was reminded, through Radio, that sometimes we need that static.
We need to listen to the silence of the world sometimes in order to ground ourselves in what is that we are seeking out. If it's peace or someone we associate with peacefulness, Radio reminded me that in the worst moments, the silence is what's needed to get our feet back on the ground.

Troy Baker: Window to the Abbey

Track 1 "Heads out &Water Into Wine":
Similar to Troy's cover of "The Promise," "Water into Wine" is a fun song with a more upbeat tone. Written after a visit with Troy Baker's colleague Ashley Johnson, "Water into Wine" is the kind of song that I find myself humming, when it's dance like tune gets stuck in a loop in my head.
From the get go, it feels like the kind of song you could get up and dance or run to and I enjoy listening to it while doing more monotonous day to day tasks.
Unlike Radio, "Water into Wine" has the perception that life is an adventure and while it has it's downs, there are also moments of joy and excitement. As such, life exists to be experienced in all ways possible, from the highs of happiness to it's lowest lows that may come our way, even the worst days can fade into a better tomorrow, if we have the courage to face it.

 "Something New Under the Sun": When thinking of someone close to my heart, I'd say my grandfather means a lot. He's the kind of grandfather you hope other people have experienced, the kind who love their grandchildren unconditionally.
The ones who listen to the silly stories and ramblings of the grandchild or desire to shower them with gifts of praise and wisdom, encouragement or to join the grandchild in laughter.
This is my grandfather, a patient man who loves his family and enjoys the little things that come his way.
Upon learning that the song was written about Troy's own Grandparents, it quickly began to remind me in many ways of my own who I love dearly.
While they are still around and continue to love me, the song often reminds me that time with them is precious.
The people we cherish are even more precious as We are not promised tomorrow, the ones we love could be there today and then gone tomorrow.
 Even if there are those in our lives with whom we disagree with, we still need to remember that in this life we truly only get one shot.
 We may not be perfect, but the time spent in anger or hate towards someone is wasting time. It is time we could try to do our best, with the moments that are given to us.
That person may not be around in five or ten years time, so we need to try, somehow, to enjoy what we do have.
 With that in mind, "Something New Under the Sun" is an incredibly moving, bittersweet, and powerful song that tugs at the heart strings with its themes of love, life, and ultimately the grief that comes with loss.

"What I Deserve":
 "I hope I never get,
 never get what I deserve...
 take what the world wants
 fall onto me...."

What I Deserve, is a truly honest song. Written about a father and a daughter in the midst of tragedy, this song carries a double meaning, as put by Troy Baker during one of his band's live streams on twitch, "I hope I never get what I deserve, I only ever hope that I get what I need, which is grace, mercy, and patience."
 All of us need these things, we desire understanding, we desire mercy, and above all we crave love.
When what we may receive in our lives is unpleasant at best, we desire compassion to help us in the trying moments, even though at most we may not get it. Even if Compassion and Mercy and grace is needed, the sad reality is that We may not get what we deserve, but does it truly constitute that we truly deserve to go through all the unpleasantness completely broken?
 What I Deserve, seemingly examines this in the most beautiful of ways, a song about grief at it's heart, and begging that may we never get what we may truly deserve in the midst of a world that all to often does just that.
As for what the song says to me personally, I hope I never get what I deserve, I don't want to know what it means to be completely alone and more importantly, I don't want to know what it is like to live without the grace that has been afforded to me. Because that thought alone is more frightening than ever being alone in this massive world.

 The BreakUp Song:

"So this is how it ends...
not with a whisper but a bang.
Slamming doors and broken picture frames...
puffed up pride and called out names...
Alright so go
peddle your wares on down the road
your manufactured love will stop the show
for all the fools just passing by
who have yet to get wise."
The BreakUp song, a piece of music who's message is truly needed for the young of today's world. Sometimes in life we have to break up with those most important in our lives, as they may prove to be problematic or toxic.
However, when thinking of a break up, our minds may resort to that of a romantic relationship, in this case the song is speaking of breaking up with a friend.
To that point, Life is built on relationships of all kinds, family relationships, peer relations, and romantic interests, but as children, teens, and  young adults we first begin relations outside our family as acquaintances and hopefully, if we share some common ground, we can develop that relationship into a healthy long lasting friendship.
Unfortunately in the real world all relationships are messy to one degree or another and when the relationship we had becomes troublesome, there are two pathways to be taken.
We can either try to mend the broken bridge and give the person who wronged us a second chance or we can distance ourselves from them and try to move on from the hurt they've caused us.
When there is hurt too deep that forgiveness is impossible and neither party can come to the middle ground, as Troy Baker has beautifully put in interviews past, "It's ok to break up with a friend" and he's absolutely right.
Sometimes we don't need that negativity in our lives, we don't need the drama that keeps repeating itself over and over with this person who we have given every ounce of platonic love and affection to. Because it's not healthy for the individual on the receiving end of the endless excuses and reasons or pity parties of pretending they can do and be better.
The tears we shed and the words we have said are simply wasted on a relationship that is broken, and it is better to move on instead of trying to cling onto what could've been.

In conclusion, though I covered only a few of these pieces of music, every single one of them has something unique to offer their listeners. No matter what your journey is or experiences, there is sure to be a meaning to these songs that speaks to you as much as they have spoken to I and continue to do so. I love Project Window to the Abbey and I look forward to the day that Troy Baker and his team of incredibly passionate musicians put out another album.
Until then, stay geeky everyone. -Faith