A R I Z O N A [album review]
New Jersey trio A R I Z O N A have been making a name for themselves over the last few years. I really enjoy their electropop sound and am a big fan of singer Zachary Charles’ dynamic vocals. They released their self-titled album on May 12th through Elektra Records. It is their third studio album and runs about 40 minutes front to back over 12 songs. It follows up their 2019 album, Asylum, which features songs like “Nostalgic”, “Find Someone”, and “Freaking Out”.
Below is a track by track commentary/review of each song on their new album. It’s a great listen and I highly recommend checking it out! You can listen to it on Spotify here.
1. “Graveyard”
The album’s opening track is about how we all eventually end up in the graveyard. While it may seem a little grim for the first song of an album, I think it’s a great starting track to nudge the listener to be present with the music. When we get caught up in worry, shame, and regret, the song serves as a reminder to “stop and smell the roses”.
2. “Dark Skies”
This track is about sticking by someone’s side even during hard times. Certain things like “dark skies” are out of our control but the lyrics are a hopeful message of making it through whatever it is as long as we have each other. This one is definitely one of my favorites on the album.
3. “Dancing With The Dead”
I was an immediate fan of this song when I first heard it. I especially like the part where he says “I want to forget” and it seems to drop an octave lower. The music is energetic and catchy while the poetic lyrics appear to comment on the craziness of life and trying to cope with the different forces around us. I’m not surprised they placed it as the third song of the album as I think it shows A R I Z O N A at their best.
4. “Pressure”
“Pressure” is a cool song that juxtaposes the negative pressures of the world that push on our backs with the more pleasurable pressures from our intimate relationships that push on our hearts. The song has a lively rhythm and keeps the album’s fire burning.
5. “Out of My Hands”
In this track, “hearts are gonna do what they wanna do”. The lyrics are about falling for someone when it doesn’t logically make sense. Even after trying to fight off the emotions, sometimes our feelings towards others are out of our control. It has an entrancing electronic sound and builds upon the romantic themes of the album.
6. “Die For A Night”
One of my favorite tracks on the album, “Die For A Night” is a danceable tune with passionate and lustful undertones. Lyrics such as “I think your kiss might be the death of me” showcase this. The song builds from verse to chorus with the following structure: slower verse → upbeat pre-chorus → airy chorus.
7. “Pray To God”
The shortest song on the album, this track has a faint overlay melody (you can hear it kick in at 0:44) that plays around each chorus and is more pronounced towards the end of the song. It is so simple but really makes the song for me.
8. “Moving On”
The first single released for the album, “Moving On” is a potent track that addresses the ups and downs of human emotion. My favorite lyric is “kings and queens of our own ghost towns”, which I interpret as a metaphor for the fact that we’re the only one with access to our own thoughts and emotions. No matter how we’re feeling though, the song reminds us that “we’ll be alright if we just keep moving on”.
9. “Wanderer”
Another absorbing electronic track, the lyrics are about a “wanderer” who is lost in the universe. Time is always moving and it’s easy to get lost as we’re trying to “figure it out”. It also has a catchy guitar outro that adds a cool ending to the song.
10. “Black Boots”
In this song, the protagonist is trying to make a move on the “leather jacket girl” in “black boots”. It mixes themes of infatuation and desire. They stick with the guitar outro again, which I think fits well.
11. “Meet You There”
A R I Z O N A shows their tender side in the album’s penultimate track. “Meet You There” is a ballad about being there for someone during difficulties and struggles.
12. “Warm Water, Winter Winds”
The acoustic guitar intro brings a different feel on the album’s sentimental closing track. The song is a reflection on the past as the lyrics detail “growing older”. The contrast of warm water and winter winds is interesting and seems appropriate since the album as a whole balances darker themes such as death and struggles with brighter ones such as romance and passion. “Warm Water, Winter Winds” is a satisfying close to the album yet leaves me wanting more.
Overall, I think A R I Z O N A is an exceptional album for the band. As a self-titled album, it is definitely a defining work for them and shows a maturation in their sound. I find the more I listen to it, the more I appreciate it.
Feel free to leave a comment letting me know your thoughts on the album or if you have any favorite songs. Thanks for reading and see you in your inbox next week!
Scott