Written by: Pailyn Tayjasanant
Disclaimer: this is my interpretation of the album. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Hope you enjoy!
Following the success of their first album Better Weather, Australian trio With Confidence grew into a mature sound featured on their sophomore album Love and Loathing. They strayed from the formulaic pop punk sound that riddled their previous album and developed a melodic pop-rock with catchy hooks and deeper lyrics. This shift suits the lyrical content of the album, as it dives into deeper discussions of, as the title implies, love and loathing with oneself and others. These ideas are also reflected in their album cover. The cover features a rose in three different stages: crumpled up, blossoming, and fully blossomed. The album cover is embodies the journey the lead singer, Jayden Seeley, overcomes throughout this album. Through the album, Seeley deals with an emotionally tolling breakup, where he grapples with self-loathing, doubt, insecurity, and a scramble for closure. As the tracks progress, Seeley learns to combat these emotions with maturity and growth. The album is introspective, focusing more on his reaction to the breakup while knowing he’ll get through it, rather than simply stating “she’s gone and I’m sad.” The album is subdivided into three phases: the relationship, the breakup, and the conclusion. Each phase explores how his emotions towards himself and towards his former lover intertwine and change as he moves through the breakup. The journey he experiences is is indicative of human nature and the fact that healing is not linear. He goes through ups and downs while sorting through his emotions, knowing he has to feel his feelings before he can move on. At the end of this album, Seeley comes out stronger, learning more about love, loathing, and himself.
THE RELATIONSHIP
That Something
“That Something” kicks off the album with a preppy love song. It starts the narrative during the honeymoon phase of the relationship. “I think I found that something / I think I’ll finally breathe right in / I think I found that love I won’t give up,” Seeley chants in the chorus. This song establishes the focal point of the album: the intense love he feels towards his partner. Further, these lyrics show that love acts as a saving grace. He uses his emotions to give him hope. This hope is of his relationship, that he found love that’ll last. A tinge of a later discussed topic, dependency, haunts the pre-chorus as he sings “I won’t lose my grip don’t let go.” It then jumps right into the upbeat chorus, drowning out the introduction of a downfall. The overall tone of the song shows Seeley as hopeful for this new endeavor, accurately portraying his feelings towards his partner.
Sing to Me
“Sing to Me” is an iconic love song off of the record. In the song, Seeley reassures his lover that “I know that time is on your mind / But time is just a construct.” He is confident in his relationship, telling his partner not to worry about the future. He tells her that he’s everything she’s looking for, and proving that she’s “that something,” which is exactly what he was looking for. However, towards the end of the song, he starts to lose her, singing “I see the light get darker now / Don’t breathe it in, I’ll push it out.” He denies the crumbling of the relationship, thinking that if he simply pushes it away that their love will last.
Moving Boxes
“Moving Boxes” is the first track dedicated to the downfall of the relationship. It begins a subphase of the relationship stage: the rough patches in the relationship that leads to the inevitable downfall. It’s the first sign of Seeley pulling away from his partner: “I’m moving boxes and we are now separate” he chants. This is the first time he makes a distinction between him in his partner, and also the first signs of animosity. It signifies a shift in the romance--it’s she’s no longer “that something”.
The Turnaround
“The Turnaround” has a drastically different tone than the tracks immediately before and after it. It’s catchy and full of hope. But, the lyrics reveal the true nature of the song, as Seeley sings, “And I could never find a way around the roads I walked on / And every single day the ground keeps crumbling underneath.” The song shows the continual decline of the relationship, but also Seeley’s fight to keep it. “I have a reason to believe everything’s gonna be fine /… / Let’s make today the turn around,” Seeley encourages in the bridge. “The Turnaround” shows Seeley’s dedication to this relationship. He’s found something he wants to hold onto, and he’d do anything to keep it.
Jaded
“Jaded” is the beginning of the insecurity driving the narrative. Seeley is still in the relationship, but at this point, it’s too far gone to be saved. The fast-paced drums hopeless-romantic lyrics are a tribute to their old sound, satirically connecting pop punk to failing relationships. Despite the catchy tune, the lyrics reveal deep insecurity: “I wish I could be everything you’re needing / … / I’ll never be, never see everything you’re needing.” The song is riddled with the notion that Seeley believes he is not “good enough” for his lover, as exemplified by, “I’m scared I’ll muddy all your color if you get too close.” He wants to fight for this relationship, but he doesn’t know how to. “I want to love you,” he pleads, but by the end, he’s doubting almost every aspect of the relationship. The song ends abruptly after the last chorus, thus ending this phase of the story.
THE BREAKUP
Better
“Better” canonically ends the relationship. The song opens with Seeley describing, “Call me up and break it off / Now know that I am not enough / Wish that I could have been better,” which summarizes the main themes in the song. “Now I stand in awful weather” echoes at the beginning of the track. This alludes to the central metaphor in their previous album Better Weather, with the weather signifying negative emotions. This song accurately portrays the reactions to a break up: the swirling questions of Am I good enough? and the distorted answer you land on being “no.” The upbeat hook masks the morbid lyrics, exploring the “loathing” side of the title of the album. This track is riddled with self-doubt: “All that I ever wanted / I wanna feel worth it / Don’t wanna be worthless / … / I wanna be perfect / I wish that I could be better,” he sings in the chorus. This irrational thinking is a common reaction to heartbreak. He’s going through the first stage of grief, denial, due to the tone of the song mimicking a message to his former lover. He’s begging her to come back, to tell him what he did wrong (“Tell me everything that I have f*cked up, I wanna see”), so he could be better. He’s desperate, searching anything for answers: “Wish that I could find myself / Am I lost cause, honey?” He’s grasping at straws to get her back. He takes this pain inward, blaming himself for the breakup, even though it distorts reality by placing the blame solely on him.
Spinning
“Spinning” recounts the love that Seeley lost. It explains his whirlwind of a love story. He explains that his partner “came out of the dark” and gave him the glow of love, one that he basks in for the remainder of the song. It reflects his attitude towards his former partner--he enjoyed the relationship and appreciated the good memories. He carries this idea throughout the following few tracks, adopting a mature view of the situation. The song is filled with hope, whether that be what he felt during the relationship (“Think you’re my reason for believing things will be alright”) or the hope he carries now that he will get through this. He’s happy that he’s experienced this relationship, and he knows he will make it through his labyrinth of emotions.
Bruise
“Bruise” explores the “what ifs” that Seeley wishes he could’ve done. He searches for faults and how, if he went back in time, he would’ve changed them. He’s still sorting through his emotions, singing “I wish that I could say I’ve let you go.” Logically, he knows that the breakup helps her “go and be everything you need to be,” yet he is still reeling in the loss of a loved one. Again, to allude to bad weather as negative emotions, he “hasn’t seen the sun in days.” In his head, he knows it’s what’s best, but in his heart, he thinks he prematurely lost her. At the end of the song, he repeats “I wanna let you go / I wish I’d let you go / I need to let you go,” knowing he needs to move on for his own sake.
Pâquerette (Without Me)
“Pâquerette (Without Me)” embodies the growth Seeley undergoes from “Better” to now. An acoustic staple, the track builds off of the memories in “Spinning,” recognizing that his former partner deserves happiness. There’s no animosity as he chants “I hope you’re better off without me / Bet you’ll love the one you found / He’s perfect for you, everything you need,” accepting that sometimes, things aren’t meant to be. He knows that they’re not meant for each other, yet that doesn’t diminish the memories they made together. “I’ve been fine / And you’ve been growing / And I’ve be alright,” Seeley sings. Sometimes things don’t work out, and that doesn’t make either of them any less of a person. He acknowledges the feelings that he has are painful, but he has to feel them to get over them. He knows he’ll be alright, and only wishes happiness for the other person.
Icarus
“Icarus” takes all of the teenage angst and bottles it into one song. Throughout the record, Seeley has been mature, looking at both views of the breakup. Now, all of his anger is coming out. Alluding to the Greek myth of the same name, Icarus was the son of a craftsman. Both needed to escape a tower, so his father, Daedelus, made wings of wax, warning Icarus not to fly too high or too low. Icarus was ambitious and ignored his father’s warnings, leading to his wings melting and him drowning. In the song, Seeley mocks his former lover for claims they had made: “When you check if there’s still something in your chest / ‘Cause you think you really tried, you did your best / To convince yourself you’re good before you rest.” Even though he adopted a mature view of his situation, he grows tired. “Icarus” details his breaking point, where he lashes out like a teenager to relieve his anger. This song embodies his frustrations. It serves as the conclusion of the breakup because he realizes that he doesn’t need the other person to be happy. Of course, there’s bitterness to accompany this realization, after believing the opposite for so long. The way he copes with this is through angst. He reflects on the relationship, noticing places where the other person was at fault, accepting those faults as not his doing. He knows she’s human, too, and should take responsibility for her actions.
THE CONCLUSION
Dopamine
“Dopamine” begins the final phase of the album: the conclusion. This song, along with “Tails” highlight the main struggle in the album: imperfection. At first glance, “Dopamine” does not belong at the end of the album. It’s a bubbly love song, so why does it fall after the breakup, especially after a song like “Icarus”? The tone of the song doesn’t fit in with the rest of the album; it is flooded with dependency, including “I keep you here to stop my pain / Back in my heart and in my veins / Keeping me numb like novocaine.” The different tone indicates that the song is not meant to be reality. It does not fit in the timeline of the current narrative. “Dopamine” is essentially a fairytale. It's his expectations at the beginning of the relationship. It’s cartoonish; he paints his partner as a cure-all for his hopelessness. The dependency grows, as he compares her to various opioids, stating that she is there to “numb the pain.” The placement of the song is a crucial indicator of the constant discussion of human nature. “Dopamine” exemplifies wanting, expectation, and the inreality if it all. The expectation that romantic partners can cure preexisting feelings is dangerous because they are human and they have needs as well. The following track, “Tails,” contrasts this narrative, discussing the realities of behavior and that both parties in the relationship are human. It’s a reality check, one that is also indicated by the transition between songs. The transition starts in “Dopamine” and leads into “Tails,” suggesting that the tracks are related.
Although minute, there is a relation to the earlier track “Moving Boxes.” In “Dopamine,” Seeley sings “In my room, covered in dust / While all my trophies rust,” relating to the mention of dust and loneliness in “Moving Boxes”: “Get high on the dust that I am breathing / Oh, oh, oh, one week to go.” “Moving Boxes” is the first track that indicated the relationship reached a rough patch. The reality of the relationship clouds the fairytale of “Dopamine,” showing that nothing is truly picturesque. This idea plays an important role in supporting the theme of imperfection throughout the record.
Tails
“Tails” is the lyrical conclusion of the album. Following the fairytale of “Dopamine,” Tails shatters the fantasy of the track that precedes it. It runs through the main themes of the album--ones of imperfection, love, and struggle--while emphasizing his journey and acceptance. The song discusses the idea that nothing is really perfect, and that’s okay. It’s closure; as Seeley sings “I run circles while we chase our tails, I won’t fail you / No one’s perfect but we make our way out every day that’s new,” he talks about life’s ups and downs, whether we get stuck in the same place, or we face a bad day, we will always find a way out. It tells the audience that the search for ourselves is a lasting struggle, but it’s normal. Further, the lines “How about this weather, look at the sun / Heard tomorrow rain might come,” again uses bad weather to allude to negative emotions, which is a callback to their previous album. However, the tone of the track shows that Seeley acknowledges that he will have bumps in the road, but that doesn’t make him any less human or worthy. Tails ends on an acoustic confession: “Think love and loathing’s all I’ve got / Sometimes I think it’s all I want,” which serves as the final line of the album, signifying that he is content with his struggle and recognizing it as human, and willing to deal with these emotions. It sums up all the concepts he discussed throughout the past 12 tracks.
Within the bridge of “Tails”, Seeley sings “I gave you everything I’ve got…” which is a callback to “Sing to Me”, where he says “I’ll give you everything I’ve got / Take everything if you want.” It’s sung in the same key, only slower. The changes in this line exemplify Seeley’s growth throughout the album. In “Sing to Me”, which occurs in the first phase of the album, Seeley is hopeful in his relationship, willing to give his partner anything he can, even if it is detrimental to him. In “Tails”, Seeley is more aware of his personal boundaries. He speaks in the past tense, deleting the part “take everything if you want,” showing that he is done with the relationship and the feelings associated with it. He’s moved on and grown from this experience, as these lyrics show. These lyrics tie the beginning and end of the album together, providing a sense of closure, as the rest of the song does for Seeley himself.
Love and Loathing shows that healing is not linear. All of the confusing emotions are normal, and you can get through them. We are all human and we are bound to get hurt, but that only makes us stronger. Healing takes time, and this album shows that it’s okay to take all the time you need.