Philip Morgan Lewis – Future Paranoia
It’s alright to be angry. It’s normal to seek a soundtrack for these feelings, especially in light of a semi-recent planetary event. But who is going to keep you supplied with the right sounds? The majority of artists who write rage-filled songs about not being able to put their trust in the future play distorted guitar, own motorcycles, and wear boots during the summer. They cannot be trusted.
There’s a certain mood in the air. The general sense is that we’ve been lied to. And, what’s worse, the people who’ve been spreading the lies know that we know. Will they feel threatened enough make us line up pour Kool-Aid in our cups? Or, will we all do our best to pretend that everything has gone back to normal? The greatest artists are the ones able to identify when there is, indeed, a mood in the air and who are able to put their finger on just what bothers our collective consciousness. Philip Morgan Lewis attempts to do just that.
“Future Paranoia” is a melodic, gently psychedelic song about being made to feel scared to death of the immediate future. Is that an eccentric way of seeing the world? No, if anything, Philip Morgan Lewis has penned an anthem to accompany any news bulletin. However, what sets Lewis’ song apart is the gentleness and comedy of it all. Everything might fall apart, but the way in which it’ll all happen will likely be hilarious. “Future Paranoia” is a song about joyously preparing for the worst.
the soon future – golden days
If you do it right, and if the adventure you’ve decided to go on has really captured all of your attention, eventually, you’ll find yourself lost. That’s how it’s supposed to work. Yes, once you’ve realised this, panicking is a natural, even needed reaction.
You’re not bound to calm down for a while. And, when you do, you’ll grab a pencil and a pad and start doing simple arithmetic. It’ll come up that you’ve spent more than you intended. Your money, relationships, and, most importantly, your time were all traded in.
And, now, look where you are! You’re stranded! But where exactly did you want to be? Surely, you wouldn’t prefer being in the same place that you left in the first place? These are the ideas that the soon future have to wrestle.
The single “golden days” captures that sweet melancholy that comes around from time to time, meant to alert you that you haven’t checked the map in a long time. And, sure, there’s something in the way that the vocalist for the soon future sings about having to visit old, familiar places after many years, and that sweet desperation that forces you to think about all of the things that you’ve missed and why you decided to miss them in the first place. But, it’s settled! Next stop is somewhere further into the unknown!
