"Oceans climb out of deserts for you / While I’ve been drowning all my days / Oceans climb but tonight I feel just fine / It don’t matter my friend / If you don’t hear us in the end..."
The soaring beautiful melancholia of "Tetherball", by Boston, Mass based Opera, feels like past times and how they are looked at fondly no matter if they are good or bad times because they are ladder steps to now and even beyond. For me, this song for obvious or vague reasons makes me think of MGMT's debut 2007 album "Oracular Spectacular" and 2004's iconic indie film "Napoleon Dynamite" both, in tandem. Both artful creations can feel surfacy while actually being very deep, emotionally, culturally, artistically and both (during dark times) can make me feel that life is worth it, that empathy is the most important emotion. "Tetherball" feels similarly drawn and equally special and I am sure that I will use it as both a pacifier and inspirational wedge throughout my remaining days.
LINER NOTES (bracketed):
[A mix of bright synths, groovy guitars, and lithe backing vocals emerge and soon we are cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway (Opera is from the Northeast but never mind that for now). Lyrical imagery such as oceans climbing out of deserts and asphyxiation by sugar keep us awake at the wheel. There is hidden pain in the lyrics which contrasts with the buoyant musicality of this track, but by the time the chorus hits there seems to be some acceptance and solace. “It don’t matter, my friend, if you don’t hear us in the end.” A double entendre, the band is remarking that they are in this cause they want to be, doing this because they find joy in it, and won‘t let that fade.
"Tetherball" is the lead single off Opera's upcoming EP "Forget" out the 02/28/2025 on Broken Palace, a label started by brothers Nick and Will Evans of the indie group Stray Fossa.
These lovely lyrics, for me, tightrope between confessional intimacies and panoramic surrealistic feelings stitched together between stair stepping guitar notes and breathy non lexical vocals that feel like embraces by friends when you need a hug.
While I’ve been drowning all my days
Oceans climb but tonight I feel just fine
It don’t matter my friend
If you don’t hear us in the end
Wonder why
Once a day
I let the daylight
Fade away
She knows me well
Knows my ways
If I’m lost she’ll find me
Pour some sugar on me
Keep on pouring till I can’t breathe
Porcelain with your dead eyes locked on mine
It don’t matter my friend if you don’t hear us in the end
Wonder why
Once a day
I let the daylight
Fade away
She knows me well
Knows my ways
If I’m lost she’ll find me"
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://operamusic.bandcamp.com/album/forget
https://www.instagram.com/operamusick
https://www.tiktok.com/@0pera2
Lo-fi, indie-rock revival, noise pop out of Mass: Opera, formed by Craig Ronan and Abel Guler, has been crafting their sound for over a decade. Emerging from performances at a local dive bar where Ronan worked post-pandemic, they tested their music with a tough crowd of regulars. Despite initial heckling, the band slowly gained acceptance, fostering a sense of a local, intergenerational community , a rare find in today's world of curated events and social divides.
Opera's collaborative spirit extends beyond the stage, recording projects at home and working with a diverse array of artists and musicians, including individuals in prison. Their outreach included letter writing and an open call for artwork to use as album covers, driven by a belief in reconciliation through art and music.
Recently, Opera welcomed a new member, Liuda Garmashova who records under Glek, a classically trained pianist who immigrated to Boston from Russia. After years as a touring musician in a more traditional act, she was eager to explore new musical avenues, making her an unexpected yet perfect addition to the band.
Together, Opera combines distinct influences and styles, embracing the tension and harmony that arise from their differences. Their improvisational approach to writing often takes songs in surprising directions, resulting in music that feels both familiar and forward-looking.
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