Thursday, August 28, 2008

?->.

Welcome! This will be a blog for thoughts, articles, questions, answers, and discussions concerning Singularity. I feel that there is a tremendous amount of unaddressed content that could be fun to dig into here. I have enjoyed amazing conversations with many of you about my own thoughts as this record was being created and the many questions we in Mae were wrestling with at the time and continue to wrestle with today. We all have different perspectives on the meaning of this record and that is important for me to express outright at the beginning. This will be a "Jacob" blog not necessarily a "Mae" blog although as a part of Mae I can not help but include the influence of Mae upon myself. I hope this will evolve into a forum for furthering that discussion.

I would like to start with a question. What did this record mean to you?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

to me this album meant that mae can tackle a whole new level. the intensity and energy that was expelled from the tracks was phenominal.

release me was the most lyrical mae song to date, so i think.

Melanie said...

Wow, you don't start with the easy ones, do you? I have a difficult time with such questions, not because it hasn't meant anything to me, but because it has meant a lot at different times and places and different circumstances. But I can give an example or two, perhaps? I was having a particularly bad time at work and not feeling like I did anything well. I really just felt like crying. I didn't want to give up, and almost felt like I had to, and I had no direction (I'm still not sure I do, to be honest.) I started playing Singularity, and Brink of Disaster came on, and it just fit. It changed my whole mood and outlook. I nearly cried, and would have had I not been at work, but they would have been more positive tears. I know I laughed a little. Other times, the songs have just expressed something I've felt, or the mood I'm in so well, that I feel less alone. And when none of that is the case, then I've just felt happy listening to it. I love the concept of Just Let Go, because sometimes that's what we have to do, but it's hard. There's just a lot there.

I've now also noticed that sometimes when I can think of nothing to say, I end up saying more. LOL

yuko said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
yuko said...

The first time I listend through this album, I confused. Because I thought it was very different than destination:beautiful and The Everglow. Those two albums are very delicate melody. Singularity is powerful. So I confused about different taste. But I continued to listen Singularity and finally I could accept these amazing songs. I can't understand the meaning of all the lyrics but I can feel something about them. And now I can't live without Singularity, listen everyday:) Especially I love Waiting.

Mae's music is always makes me feel better.

Molly said...

Musically, Singularity was different but I like it. I am still digging into the lyrics and meaning of everything. Brink of Disaster was an interesting song for me at first. There was a span of a few weeks where almost everytime I listened to it, something bad would happen. I have since outgrown that phenomenon. On your tour with Motion City Soundtrack we had talked about Singularity in the parking lot after the show. It was freezing outside. You had opened up the doors that are my eyes to a new concept(Singularity) and now I am thrilled to be exploring it more!

Telecasterboy said...

wow!! your first question is so typical but hard to answer. well the record guided me through rough and sweet times these past few months or should i say the past year. i dont know but for some reason i was inclined to think the songs created a sense of community. at least that's the effect it has on me.

Tom said...

I'm not too sure how to answer this question, but I would like to say that even when your guys' musical sound is different, your songs and lyrics still remain hopeful. I hope that they continue to be like that. Everyone needs hope and I don't think anyone could live without it. (Sorry it isn't quite on topic with the actual question)

Chris Zak said...

Wow, Jacob. Way to start off with one of those "phantom" questions - simple and complex. So, I'll try to deal with the simple parts of it.

I talked to you, Dave, and Zach about Singularity and honestly...each person's perspective on what that means is very different. So actually, maybe all of your explanations didn't really clarify everything as much as it broadened what Singularity is. To each person.

My moment of singularity in the album was the initial reaction. I wasn't really a fan of how it had so many two-voice harmonies, and some of it kind of felt like you weren't playing to your strengths. Basically, I wasn't hearing what had made me a Mae fan in the first place. I don't think this was an uncommon opinion for many people.

I was asking, where is the piano? And wherever I could make out the keys, I wasn't feeling the dynamic, or the placement. Dave later said the reason was to try to create a sum of many parts. A synthesis of different instruments. Still, you gotta admit, the CD is guitar-heavy.

I didn't listen to the record for a long time, maybe until 4 months ago. Songs found me at an emotional time, and I stuck with them through that time. Then I started to accept the other songs. But in all honesty, something was missing at the shows. You guys did well on the Motion City tour.

Then you came back to Philly. I had a GREAT interview with Dave, and your show at the TLA...you led off with that new version of "Futuro." Dave hinted at it, and as you started, I was in the photo pit. Halfway through, I wanted to text my friend, but she'd already texted me saying "Mae is so back!" It was an amazing moment. It was a killer show. These things coming together has made me a fan again.

And that journey and arrival only came because of distance. I explained this to Dave and he said something like, "It's like once you step back and get some distance from something, sometimes only then can you see the fuller picture."

But you know, granted. It's a good record. I can say that now. But I still don't feel like I fully understand what singuarlity is, because it's such a huge idea and can touch so many different things...

"Waiting," has become an important song. Because so much of our life is about waiting, hoping for a better thing, when it should be spent living and doing!

Oh, and the other day, I decided to explore this area of my town where they cleared out a bunch of trees. You know what...I'm just going to link you to the picture and story later tonight. This is already too long. See what you've done!?