There’s going to be an album that changes how you listen to music, whether it opens your eyes to new genres or makes you appreciate the art of music even more. For me, "WALK THE MOON" by WALK THE MOON was one of those albums.

It was one of those winter days in Florida. It was my sophomore year of high school, and I really liked how my day was planned. I was talking to this girl I enjoyed very much and she enjoyed me. She had invited me over to her house to make cookies and hang out while her parents weren’t home. It was around Christmas time so for Christmas I had made her a mix of my favorite songs from the type of music I listened to at the time. It was mostly pop-punk, bands such as The Wonder Years, The Story So Far, and New Found Glory had made the list and she wouldn’t tell me what she got me. She said she made something very personal for me. I was excited. I was 16, nervous about the potential that this day could have. She convinced me to go on the bus with her even though I didn’t have a pass. Back then, I followed the rules pretty well so when I went on I was nervous but, of course, no one cared and I sat down, happily and nervously.

We got to her house and exchanged gifts. I gave her the mix CD, complete with a CD case and a tracklist with a personal note written on the front that I can’t repeat. She gave me a mixed CD as well with a tracklist and cover art along with something that was very personal. It was a paper mache of all the albums on the mix. There were a few bands I knew and some that I had never heard of, case in point, WALK THE MOON. The CD was great; she had really good taste in music. Some artists on the CD were Bruce Springsteen, the Pixies, Fun., and, finally, WALK THE MOON. What struck me the most was the final song “I Can Lift a Car.” The entire CD followed a theme of classic rock to mild alternative that echoed feelings of romance or sadness, except for this song. This song just oozed love and personal triumph. This song introduced me to WALK THE MOON.

This album, even from the cover art, is very colorful. It’s an alternative rock album with songs that talk about love, college, and even betrayal. It’s a colorful look at life that can make the listener feel good with every listen and even inspire them to dance around the room with the music on maximum volume. I really love this album. From the sound bite of the ringtone on the first song to “Quesadilla” to the lush soundscape of “Anna Sun” this album has something for everyone. The first song “Quesadilla” starts the album off with an interesting sound. There’s heavy repetition with the song structure that often explodes into a jubilant synth break. The lyrics detail the feelings of falling in love, with their singer, Nicholas Petricca, singing, “I must have tumbled out of a plane, cause I free-fell all year, my chute is blooming out like spring and I’m nowhere now, but here.” He explains the fresh feelings of excitement and despair that come with liking someone new in a playful manner.

The song ends and we’re treated to some catchy alternative songs by the name of “Lisa Baby” and “Next In Line” until we reach the lead single of the album “Anna Sun.” This song is named after one of their professors and details the process of growing up and trying to remain cheerful and energetic like a kid. It’s all about retaining who you were before life started getting crazy. With lyrics that depict a man living in an old house, struggling to maintain it, you can relate, as it could be a metaphor to how we see ourselves as time goes on. Plus, there’s the ever so relatable line “We got no money, but we got heart.” The next song “Tightrope” starts and we’re treated to a similar song structure with the guitar riff maintaining the same rhythm until the chorus. It’s a fun song and it’s definitely one could dance to. I mean, I do whenever I hear it and I shout the chorus with pride as it talks about treating their feelings gently while also reminiscing about when they met.

The rest of the album plays out until we get to the song “Shiver Shiver” a playful song about sex. The lyrics talk about taking clothes off of each other with hands around their necks. It’s pretty cut and dry but catchy as hell and I absolutely love it. We then get to a break in the album, “Lions”, an instrumental track that leads into “Iscariot” the betrayer of man. This song contains biblical references to the lion’s den and betrayal overall, while having a slow and somber sound that differentiates this track from the rest.

The next song, “Fixin,’” is a playful song that deals with remembering the relationship and the optimism that comes with not knowing where you can go. The lyrics also have a playful relationship between a shimmer and a shadow. The loss of a relationship leaves him feeling incomplete but upon first listen, you wouldn’t think he’s hurt over it due to the playful nature of the song. Then we get to the final track, “I Can Lift a Car.” As stated earlier, this is the song that started it all for me. Along with being excellently placed on the mix CD, this song is just good as hell. The optimism that seeps through the song through lyrics such as “Did you know that I can lift a car up all by myself” paints the picture that we can do anything we set our minds to. In the context of the song it’s about getting over a breakup, but it can really be attributed to any obstacle that we have in our lives, with a little bit of love mixed in. I love it to death and it still remains one of my favorite songs.

I love this album to death, part of it is due to the feelings I had for the girl who gave me the CD and the memories we had together. Another is just based on the fact that it’s a good and happy album. I think you might like it too.

Final Verdict: 8.5/10

Tracks to listen to: “Quesadilla”, “Anna Sun”, “Tightrope,” “Fixin”, and “I Can Lift a Car”

What have you been listening to?