The 2023 Countdown – #1
Damn. Just damn. Every track, every word, every sound, every little thing hits me in the gut on this one. I loved his previous albums, but this is next level masterpiece shit. I’m not bipolar, but I have my own mental health struggles, including dissociation. DPR Ian is a shining light in my darkness.
Track 1| Famous Last Words
2023 Favorite New Songs: #–
This intro is everything.
MITO is a personality, a character in this tale, and his name was in his previous two albums, where this persona was initially introduced to us. Moodswings in this Order and Moodswings into Order, both of which are equally amazing, brilliant works of art.
Mr. Insanity is another persona. And I do think the comma between Dear and Insanity in the first line of this intro track is intentional.
Dear, Insanity
If you are reading this we have ventured too far off into our minds,
and everything that we thought was a dream is now real.
Even the nightmares.
My time is running out but yours has just begun.
But don’t worry.
I’ll find a way to come back.
I always do.
Yours truly,
MITO
Track 2| Welcome to the Other Side
2023 Favorite New Songs: #2
As the waves come crashing down
All your walls mean nothing now
…
You’re praying the power is in you
The lyrics are short, powerful, intense.
The music is chaotic and matches the mindset.
The message is hopeful and inspiring.
Forgive my nightmares
That climb through your shadows
Those two lines above, that’s all I can ask. I can’t even express how much those two lines mean to me.
We will not fall
No one will fall
Track 3| Don’t Go Insane
2023 Favorite New Songs: #4
And I laugh inside
‘Cause you won’t know
I was here from the moment the lights showed
Yep, always here, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. And as far as we go, as much as we try, it’s so easy to just drift back and go insane. Stay sane. It’s a constant struggle, you know? I am okay, really. But … am I sane? I suppose that depends on how one defines sanity.
I made it carefully to your side
That’s when the lights turned on, and you were just a lie
I’m sane
I’m sane
Track 4| Bad Cold
2023 Favorite New Songs: #–
And you’re no longer here
Have you ever been here?
…
I miss the moments when I really cared
Letting people in is dangerous. Letting myself in is even more so. Sometimes I’m not sure who DPR Ian is speaking to here, an ex, an old friend, or himself. I can see all three far too easily. I really do think it’s himself. Or, at least for me, it would be.
I lied to let you go
And now you’ll never know
Track 5| So I Danced
2023 Favorite New Songs: #10
I just hoped that someday, someone would love me
How do I really feel? I can’t answer that, so I’ll just dance.
Dancing is one way I have of grounding myself, a release, and it’s when I feel most like myself. Music is so important to me, and dancing is almost equally important.
Let me know
How many knives are in my back
Don’t get cold
Your world is just about to crack
God, this shit sucks.
Yeah, that’s how I really feel. But I’ll keep dancing.
Track 6| Peanut Butter & Tears
2023 Favorite New Songs: #17
Friends tell me I look so dead
I think they’re seein’ through my disguise
(they know, they know)
It almost sounds nonsensical and yet it’s so real and solid. This song, the lyrics, they’re just so relatable on levels I wasn’t even aware existed. Learning how to control my fears, how to cope in this world that makes so little sense to me, perhaps I’m exposing too much of myself here, but it’s how I feel.
And my world’s been wiggling for years
Track 7| Violet Crazy
2023 Favorite New Songs: #26
A thousand voices shattered through the night
Seconds only pass you by
The title alone almost made me love the song instantly. It reminds me of Violet Hazel and True Colors. If you know, you know. 😉
And this song is like those stories in some ways. Maybe that’s a stretch, but I see parallels. Then again, I tend to see connections in just about everything.
A thousand miles between, there are only blue, blue skies
Tell me where we are in a fallen star
And as your eyes light up, catch me in a fairy tale
The imagery in these lyrics is stunningly beautiful. It’s difficult to love and be loved when your reality isn’t the same as theirs.
I’ve been so tired lately
Will you set me free?
I feel like I was less wordy on this album even though it is my favorite. Even though my stories and experiences are different, I think the songs just hit to close for me to form coherent thoughts.
Peace, love, and sanity. ????