Sometimes in life we can feel too much; we build up all of our fears and anxieties and we let them cripple us. They put us into a state of stagnation and we let our fears and anxieties overcome our desire to obtain our goals and progress as people. We tend to overthink and act without perspective, and this above all prevents us from moving forward. Sometimes all it takes to get over our bullshit is to calm down, let it out, and feel genuine, unadulterated emotion. The sensation of catharsis does not usually come easy - it's an uphill battle of processing negative thoughts and obtaining perspective. Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) are here to make it easy, as they made an album that contains all of my worries and trepidation and expels them through musical expression. For me, this record is what it takes to move forward.
What It Takes To Move Forward is captivating for the entirety of its 56-minute run time. Every song, through its sprawling and progressive structure is a journey, fitting together like small pieces of a bigger puzzle. There's a consistent tone of immense sadness and nostalgia that blankets the entire album in a suffocating atmosphere. From the uneasy arpeggios that open the record, until the blanket of distorted chords fizzle out and the record ends, the heavy weight of grief and fervent emotion is uncompromising - it never lets up, it never wavers.
What It Takes To Move Forward is an album about moments, moments that can survive on their own, but come together and translate into something truly significant.
Every single second of this album matters to me: every guitar part, every lyric, every nuance, and even after hundreds of listens it never fails to elicit intense emotion from me. I almost hate how without fail,
What It Takes To Move Forward can make me feel. No matter how many times I grow cynical or think I've finally become numb, I'm able to block out all the noise inside my head, shut up and listen, and really feel something. I can take everything in my life that worries or bothers me and break it down into a pure emotional release, and that's what makes
What It Takes To Move Forward so special.
