By: Andrew Braun
March 14, 2021
New York-based alternative band AJR is a fulfilling musical experience blessed with lyrical dimension. “Way Less Sad,” the band’s newest single, is their final testament to listeners before the release of their fourth album, OK ORCHESTRA.
As of March 14th, the single has nearly 5.7 million streams on Spotify, and the song’s music video has over 3 million views on YouTube.
Formed in 2005, AJR is composed of brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met. The trio has released three studio albums prior to their planned fourth, including Neotheater in 2019, which debuted at #8 on the US Billboard 200.
Often, AJR’s music features extreme juxtaposition between the sound of certain songs and their melancholy messages. Lyrically, “Way Less Sad” is quite resemblant of its title. In the song, frontman Jack Met explains that because things have not been so positive for him lately, he has since lowered his expectations, making him “way less sad” compared to before.
Based on the previous three singles for the album, “Bummerland,” “My Play,” and the Billboard top 10 hit “Bang!,” it is reasonable to assume that OK ORCHESTRA will explore melancholy topics lyrically. However, this latest single offers sentiments of newfound hope in addition to negative emotions, making it a true pandemic era album.
While AJR’s literary technique is something to be commended as a trademark part of their brand, the band’s auditory brilliance is what makes them distinctly deserving of praise. Their records are stories capable of conveying a message without paying attention to lyrics (although half the fun of listening to AJR is their all-too literal wording). Assembling illustrious symphonies such as theirs requires more than which words can say.
As certainly evident in their latest single, AJR largely incorporates brass instruments into their music, which help facilitate dramatic builds and subsequent, satisfying drops. For example, as the pre-chorus builds to its end, a brass tone subtly fades into track. While the brief apex between the pre-chorus and chorus is void of instrumental, the brass chorus is introduced free of additional elements and put at the forefront of the listener’s focus. The rollercoaster sound makes this song a piece of extremities in music.
Throughout their work, AJR makes apparent their obvious influences earlier greats. The chorus of “Way Less Sad” features a sample from Simon and Garfunkel’s “My Little Town.”
While AJR is known for being influenced by bands of decades past, this new single certainly incorporates elements influenced by the latest music as well, something which the band has still always been attuned to. The song’s dubbed drum patterns resemble those which have spread to define the state of music today across all genres, namely pop and new hip-hop. Aptly coupled with the song’s driving bass undertone, this unified force makes “Way Less Sad” a particularly groovy addition to AJR’s repertoire.
Another fine exposition of AJR’s talents, “Way Less Sad” is sure to be a noteworthy portion of their story’s new chapter, OK ORCHESTRA.
OK ORCHESTRA is scheduled for release on March 26, 2021, and is currently available for preorder.