Described as a sound of folk, rock, and blues on their Spotify, The Morning Sea digs into their rock roots for their triumphant “V”, one of the tracks off their latest album Destruction Songs.
They don’t hesitate to begin, starting out with a wailing guitar that gets you ready for the main melody of the track. It’s an earworm that’s picked up by the vocalist as he starts, singing:
V if you’d like to travel
where will we turn
where will we go
what’s left for a couple of angel rebels
without a home
These angel rebels remind me of fallen angels that have been expelled from heaven. Left without a home since being kicked out, they’ve now got the entire world to be their home. They continue:
And see if our plans unravel
before we both fell
before we come down
Am I still just a luring
carousel
Spinning around
They’re not sure if they’re done taking risks. If anything, it sounds like they’re just getting started. The Morning Sea seems to agree with this too, taking a moment for a brief jam session before going into the next lick of lyrics, singing:
V it’s always a gamble
Red over black
The high over low
and everything’s a roulette wheel and spinning
out of control
Comparing life to a roulette wheel, The Morning Sea comments how you’ve got to be in the red and bet to really gain anything out of it. You’ll feel out of control, but that’s better than playing it safe, even if it might get you into trouble from time to time. Everything’s a roulette wheel after all, so you might as well play than just sit and watch. You might even come out on top, as the singer remarks:
It’s easy to take for granted
The battles we love
the wars that we won
’cause it’s been such a long time since I fell
Show us someone
They’re so satisfied with how things are going, even the big victories feel insignificant. They’re looking for the next big adventure, challenging someone to try and bring them down and bring some exhilaration back in their life. They go on to proudly roar:
Believe
We’re free
The Morning Sea continues to revel in their victories and feelings of freedom by jamming out again for about twenty seconds before going into the next section. They start with a soft whisper and a lone distorted guitar:
V when we came alive
All of our blood
and all our bones
and all that we’ve tried
that could make us whole
and make us right
In this part, The Morning Sea reflects on the human condition of seeking purpose and meaning. This is the hunting and searching you do every day for the one thing that will bring you closer to your path. The Morning Sea seems to be on the right track, howling:
Believe I can come alive
the blue moon shines in the dead of night
and all of our blood and bones are safe inside
our blood and bones are left behind
The vocalist soars off into a piercing falsetto as they describe the out-of-body experience from a life lived to the very limits. These are the moments that you get lost in as time flies by and everything feels just so right. They’re the far and few moments of transcendence you and I are all working towards, and The Morning Sea’s just reached it. They go on for a victory lap by repeating:
“Believe
We’re free”
In short, “V” is a war cry of a song that’s foot-tapping and filled to the brim with gumption. It’s sure to get you moving, and it might just be the motivation you’ve been looking for.
Image credit: Anthony Mulcahy
