Forest Porridge - "Live @ Colorado Sound Studio"

FOREST PORRIDGE - “LIVE @ COLORADO SOUND STUIDO"

Digitally released via Manor Records - 05.21.20.

“You know when you hear or read something and you think to yourself “wow, who hurt them?” that’s how I felt about this whole album, but I mean that in the best way. Depression and sadness have a way of making us truthfully identify and deal with what we’re feeling in a way that no other motion can accomplish. This anthology of lost connections is a success in that by the end of it I felt perfectly destroyed. A sure hit for all the sadbois out there, Forest Porridge’s Live at Colorado Sound Studio is among some of the best music I’ve heard all year.

The heavy-hitting first track, “Here to Stay”, isn’t a cozy little love song, but a recognition of the millennial struggle of waking up to the realization that shit got real, and it got real fast. “I know I am a young man, but goddamn” echoes a feeling I’m sure we can all relate to; we’re young, and (hopefully) have our whole lives ahead of us, but damn, we’re pretty tired, we’re in debt, and will we ever be as successful as some of our friends? These feelings are warmly wrapped around ourselves in a warm blanket by its gentle, contemplative melody. Dreamy chords and purposeful drums carefully introduce us to “How Do You”, a collection of thoughts about trying to come to terms with the love felt for… a crush? A partner? Parent? A close friend? Whoever it is, it’s a special type of connection, one not necessarily unspoken, but is understood in a way that can’t be explained in words.

Switching things up a bit with a fun 1950’s vibe, which really suits Colin’s voice, “It’s A Doowop, Baby” is kind of hilarious and a little cruel, but clearly a justification for unrequited love. “I never loved you at all, I don't care if you [...] call me back” is all that’s sung, but with each repetition it becomes a little more real and begins to settle with you. The pace picks up, just a little, as the chorus gets repeated throughout the song. With the final repetition it slows back down a little as we hear someone’s off-mic confirmation that take was a good one which serves as a reminder that this is a live album, something I kept forgetting because they sound so good!

A song of surrender and tender feelings, the next track is very true to what Forest Porridge is all about; a steady rhythm that sounds much more full than what can be accomplished by just two people, lyrics that stroke your cheek while you lie in bed and just all of the feels. “Hey Little Mama”, recently released as a single, captures the mood of the album by questioning reality, except it’s in a way that’s not necessarily depressing. “Plants” might have been my favorite song on this album, even if it did make me cry for two hours. It’s short and so sweet, yet heartbreaking and incredibly relatable. “Ever since you left I’ve been singing to my plants, hoping to convince them to stay when you can’t. You’re gone. You left.” This song is best left to speak for itself, the lyricism is better and more genuine than any string of words I can put together.

Equally (and wonderfully) depressing as the previous tune, “Sad Boy Beach #2” also ripped out my soul and put out its fire in a sand-filled ashtray. This song is just as sun-drenched as the beach someone is resting at “on the trip we never went on” and as powerful as the waves crashing on its shoreline. “Tangible Things” barrels in with heavier chords and a stronger rhythm than the rest of the album. It’s quicker pace provides a perfectly anxious backdrop for its lyrics that, again, question the reality of what we see and feel. This attainable dream you leaned on suddenly disappears and is replaced with a void of what was, leaving you stumbling in search of a different crutch.

The album’s final track, “WYMTM” ends things on a strong note. Somehow this song, though just as dismal as the rest of the album, reconciled my feelings in a way that left me feeling satisfied with my sadness. Although this one is also about loss, it left me feeling like I had gained something, an experience that despite its heavy weight, I cannot wait to go through again.

Forest Porridge’s raw sincerity and tear jerking lyricism gave me all the feels, but they were presented in a way that I knew this end was not the end. Bursting with tenderness, loss and heartbreak, this is best listened to alone while under a blanket watching the rain fall outside your window, cuddled up with a box of wine. I really hope you all enjoy this album as much as I did.”