album: super enthusiast - macseal

words: Ankush Bharadwaj

Some days, thoughts of the past are unavoidable. Despite how far away it all seems, there’s still those moments when you think of an old friend, a first kiss, or someone you once trusted completely.

That longing, and the idea of remembering what was, lies at the center of Macseal’s Super Enthusiast. The record has the group pursuing heavy subject matter, using musically rich tracks to take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

“Lucky for Some” lures you in with upbeat guitars and drums, but there’s a sorrowful vocal moment waiting — “Everyone’s falling back in love / Falling back in love / Good luck keeping your friends / Cause nobody’s falling for you”. Immediately, you know how this record is supposed to make you feel. These emo roots develop musically throughout “Without a Trace” and are joined by math rock influences. 

Macseal builds further emotional depth and context with “Always Hazy”, a single that addresses someone from the past. A sick feeling of nostalgia brews under the memories of this past friend, and the sensation builds to a peak in “Mystery Inc.”, with wishes of being able to “pick and choose / My memories and which ones to / Retain and which ones to remove”. The culprit of these memories remains vague, until the singer slips out, almost regrettably, “Who would’ve guessed that growing up / Meant that I would outgrow you?” In almost direct contrast, “Irving” follows with a happier sound, reinvigorating the record with some energy, amidst a depressive spiral. 

With “Upside Down Again”, all the energy vanishes. We’re submerged into an atmosphere where the vocals melt into the background. The sounds are so perfectly curated, it’s as if you’re underneath the shade of a lone tree on a prairie in the middle of nowhere, thinking about some vague, unnamable sadness. 

Macseal doesn’t give us much time with this sensation. We’re picked back up with the pop-punk sound of “Nothing’s a Sure Thing, Shelly” juxtaposed by the opening, “I wanna die happy, if that’ll ever be / Cause honestly, who even knows what they want anymore?” The next verse declares “I’m happy”, but “what’s even left to see? / The tiring shortcomings don’t mean much anymore”, as if the singer isn’t fulfilled with being happy. 

Continuing the solemn tone, “Graduating Steps” builds up the pace until we’re forced to slow down once again with “Problem Solved”. Greeted by an acoustic guitar, we’re treated to a minimalist composition as the vocals phase in with warmth towards someone the singer wants to help: “Red is the new green once I see all your problems solved”.

In “Picture Perfect”, we’re tossed between the passion filled past of a relationship, to the present moments where this person is “all my anxieties in one place”. Just as it begins to seem that one will never escape those painful memories, “Safe Spot”, provides an answer.

Throughout the record, we are thrown into someone’s memories, and instead of a story with clear answers and a clear sense of resolution, we’re left in somewhat of a welcome lurch, feeling as if all that we listened to was a nostalgia-fueled fever dream.