Following the folk-inspired alternative rock approach to works such as 2019’s A War On Everything, the band aims higher than ever before, yet stays true to their core in Glory.
Effortlessly encapsulating what it means to be young, in pain, and an Ontarian, Glory’s resonance is unmatched.
Sitting at 38 minutes in length, Glory manages to shine light on singer-songwriter Brett Emmons’ most private thoughts without ever feeling like one has been forcibly invited to a pity party. The 10 songs spanning the track list of Glory is strong enough to sustain the themes in the album without needing additional lower-quality tracks to put a message across. Glory’s conciseness is a testament that the music is coming from a place of pure purpose.
Opening with a mellow folk guitar arrangement, the title track “Glory” paints a picture of existential dread and fear of the future. The chorus crescendos as Brett Emmons’ vocals borderline beg as he sings: “Are we just a few spirits starting to lose our form? / We won’t be reborn.” Somehow maintaining a positive atmosphere, the song ventures into turbulent reflections of Emmons’ own humanity and relationship with the turmoil that life can bring. “Glory” is successful at portraying itself as a soft anthemic track on the surface, yet a deeper look unveils hard-hitting subject matters that the band has historically embraced in their songwriting.
Next in Glory’s track list comes the ever-so-charming “Mercy Mercy” to remind us how exhausting it is to be in your 20s. In an interview with Indie88, Brett Emmons describes the significance behind the song:
“For me, I think that it’s just a really fun way of saying like I’m so tired of my 20-year-old b******t, like I’m so excited to be 30 years old. It’s weird the way that like you wake up when you’re 30 and somehow the little stuff that used to matter doesn’t really affect you. It gets so tiring trying to live up to your own brain sometimes and it’s about that.”
Describing the song any better would have certainly been challenging for Emmons. The powerful sound arrangements in “Mercy Mercy” peak one’s attention, while the lyrics make the listener stay. Emmons sings about being sick of his own “war” and how he is not the grudgeful man he once was in his youth. Notably, this is a shift from the band’s previous album, A War On Everything, whose title track sees Emmons wanting to metaphorically start a war on everything. Now equipped with the wisdom that only aging can grant, Emmons’ songwriting evolves in “Mercy Mercy” to highlight how tired he is of holding grudges.
As far as the album’s highlight goes, “Dream” lives up to its name and goes beyond the expectations of long-time followers of the band. Perhaps slightly stepping out of The Glorious Sons’ comfort zone, “Dream” features a more indie-pop sound that embraces airiness and fragility. While it is hard to pinpoint what exactly makes “Dream” so intoxicating, one thing is for certain—the sound atmosphere perfectly accompanies the masterfully sweet lyrics in the song.
The story told in “Dream” depicts the bittersweet feelings of being taken back to memories of a long-lost love, and the agony that ensues after waking up from the dream that is being stuck in those memories. While the song showcases a tragic experience, the sound that accompanies it has the power of making the lyrics sound dream-like, making it an immersive experience.
Reflective and impactful are maybe the best descriptors that come to mind when one thinks of Glory.
Glory succeeds in its ability to be multifaceted yet authentic to the sound and feel that The Glorious Sons have crafted throughout their career.