Soot and Stars
I AM SOOT!
Blue October, driven by the mind of vocalist/writer Justin Furstenfeld, may be the most intimate affair you'll ever have with a rock band. That is perhaps a huge part of the bands appeal and why their growing fan base has followed them faithfully from album to album making their newest release "Any Man In America" their best charting album to date. Justin Furstenfeld is the bands focus perhaps not unlike my other favorite group, The Smashing Pumpkins. This is not to say the musicians, including Justins brother Jeremy, don't have merit. Multi-instrumentalists, Ryan Delahoussaye in particular has definitely played a huge part in defining the bands sound with the prominent use of Violins and his own unique techniques he uses. Regardless, it's obvious to everyone that Justin is the show and the music is the backdrop to his words.
Justin Furstenfeld is not who you'd picture being the type of confessional artist who tells you their every thought, weakness and experience openly. He looks like he could kick your ass with the greatest of ease and at times he looks a little scary. In some ways, Justin is a little scary and when you get inside his head, which you do with each album, you see a very open book of a very layered complex individual. Part of the complexity comes from the fact that Justin has bipolar disorder which has affected him to the point of blackouts and stays at a Mental Hospital which he chronicles on the album "Consent to Treatment". With Justin, you know that the music may be his only outlet. Justin grew up listening and being influenced by a multitude of genres which has had the band experimenting with different sounds throughout their career. Every song within the Blue October catalog has meaning and every album plays as a chapter in Justins life. It's this open discourse to the listener that brings such a loyal audience and in their own way each listener can relate to it in the context of their own lives knowing someone is struggling and working through their lives as well.
From Then To Now
The newest chapter of Justin's life started being displayed in part on the previous album:
"Approaching Normal" was the followup album to "Foiled" which was their breakthrough album with two hit singles. One of those singles "Hate Me" was their highest charting to date and even Justin admits on the new album will be his only Billboard hit. Between the period of time between "Foiled" and "Approaching Normal" Justin got married and had a baby girl Blue. Justins perspective took a turnaround after she was born and reached sobriety. The marriage began suffering regardless because of Justins being away from home due to touring. Justin got hit with a huge pill to swallow when he came home one day to his wife confessing that she had been involved with another man for ten months who his daughter recognized as a father and that she wanted a divorce. All this with the daughter nearby in which Justin did his best to hold his composure for her. Following these events, Justin reached his breaking point and the tour was cancelled for a period of time due to extreme anxiety attacks. With the "Approaching Normal" album you saw glimpses into Justins family life which was mostly positive at the time of writing but one song really takes a harsh reality when you hear it after knowing the events that transpired.
Here's Justin talking about the background to one of the songs on "Approaching Normal" followed by the song itself:
As you may have heard Justin describe this song came towards the end of the album and contrast the darker vibe it had towards the beginning. It really reflects the transition he described himself being in before and after he had his child. One song, though chronologically doesn't fit but seems a lot eerier now considering events that transpired, is the closing track "The End". While the album was written before the events of infidelity this track in which Justin said was an exercise in going to the darkest place he could go lyrically seems like an omen especially when you listen to the track "The Flight (Lincoln to Minneapolis" on "Any Man In America". I now listen to this track in a much different light.
The End
Here alone, standing barefoot in our lawn,
Worms squeezing their way through my toes
Tonight that’s how it goes.
I’m at your window kneeling quiet,
I thought at least I’d maybe try to get your head right
Get your heart right
“Let him go!”
Then through the glass I see your dress fall to the floor
As he embraces every inch of you
The woman I adore.
I can’t believe the way you’re bending
Can’t believe this neverending moaning asking him for more
I heard you begging him for more
How far will I go
To make it feel right? “Come home”
I have to fix this on my own
Replace my heart,
Cause I’m convinced mine broke the day I let us end
Replace my heart,
I don’t wanna live by coping, I’m done with hoping…..end
I creeped in close enough to see the way he touched her,
From her feet across her knees, inside her sweetest spot
he pleased and pleased her.
I turned around and tried to take control, but no control was capable
It was a centerfold of how less than low can possibly go.
I squeezed the life into my brain
Like pushing knives into a vein
I’ve gotta get, I’ve gotta get, I said I’ve gotta get inside
So to the back window I crawl in silent standing in the darkness
Of my living room, my living room
This used to be my home
How far will I go
To make it feel right? “Come home”
I’m moving forward to the bedroom door
Replace my heart
Cause I’m convinced mine broke the day I let us end
Replace my heart
I don’t wanna live by coping, I’m done with hoping…end
I turn the doorknob with two fingers to be slow
Enough to sneak into the room among the corner darkness gloom
I had to see this happening.
He pushed himself so deep inside her clapping rang and bounced off every wooden walled room
And that’s when all went silent blank except the color red
As I walked calmly numbing paralyzed beside the bed
I said “I know I’m not allowed to be here. I just had to see
How good this new man really ****s you. Cause you both been ****ing me.”
“So now I planned the last thing you can both do as a pair
I tie both blindfolds tight around your ****ing eyes to blind your stare
I don’t want to alarm you, but I figured we could end this in what seems easy quick and painless
So I’ll get down to business
I choose you first, there’s a gun, its at your head
So laugh at me just one more time but keep your face inside the bed
You sit and watch me while I do this shit and learn from what I’ve said.”
I cocked the pistol pulled the trigger, and all I saw was red
Then the screaming oh the screaming
It’s nice to see you scared
Of such a weak and stupid husband
Who knows you never really cared
I’ll leave you with a question that I need to hear from your head
Was all this worth it knowing u have just seconds left to live?
Now think about your answer, laying face down on the bed
I cocked the pistol pulled the trigger and all I saw was red
I gently stroke her arm as she lies lifeless on her back
Then placed the barrel in my mouth
All I saw was black.
Here alone, standing barefoot in our lawn,
Worms squeezing their way through my toes
Tonight that’s how it goes.
I’m at your window kneeling quiet,
I thought at least I’d maybe try to get your head right
Get your heart right
“Let him go!”
Then through the glass I see your dress fall to the floor
As he embraces every inch of you
The woman I adore.
I can’t believe the way you’re bending
Can’t believe this neverending moaning asking him for more
I heard you begging him for more
How far will I go
To make it feel right? “Come home”
I have to fix this on my own
Replace my heart,
Cause I’m convinced mine broke the day I let us end
Replace my heart,
I don’t wanna live by coping, I’m done with hoping…..end
I creeped in close enough to see the way he touched her,
From her feet across her knees, inside her sweetest spot
he pleased and pleased her.
I turned around and tried to take control, but no control was capable
It was a centerfold of how less than low can possibly go.
I squeezed the life into my brain
Like pushing knives into a vein
I’ve gotta get, I’ve gotta get, I said I’ve gotta get inside
So to the back window I crawl in silent standing in the darkness
Of my living room, my living room
This used to be my home
How far will I go
To make it feel right? “Come home”
I’m moving forward to the bedroom door
Replace my heart
Cause I’m convinced mine broke the day I let us end
Replace my heart
I don’t wanna live by coping, I’m done with hoping…end
I turn the doorknob with two fingers to be slow
Enough to sneak into the room among the corner darkness gloom
I had to see this happening.
He pushed himself so deep inside her clapping rang and bounced off every wooden walled room
And that’s when all went silent blank except the color red
As I walked calmly numbing paralyzed beside the bed
I said “I know I’m not allowed to be here. I just had to see
How good this new man really ****s you. Cause you both been ****ing me.”
“So now I planned the last thing you can both do as a pair
I tie both blindfolds tight around your ****ing eyes to blind your stare
I don’t want to alarm you, but I figured we could end this in what seems easy quick and painless
So I’ll get down to business
I choose you first, there’s a gun, its at your head
So laugh at me just one more time but keep your face inside the bed
You sit and watch me while I do this shit and learn from what I’ve said.”
I cocked the pistol pulled the trigger, and all I saw was red
Then the screaming oh the screaming
It’s nice to see you scared
Of such a weak and stupid husband
Who knows you never really cared
I’ll leave you with a question that I need to hear from your head
Was all this worth it knowing u have just seconds left to live?
Now think about your answer, laying face down on the bed
I cocked the pistol pulled the trigger and all I saw was red
I gently stroke her arm as she lies lifeless on her back
Then placed the barrel in my mouth
All I saw was black.
So all this leads to the main attraction which is the culmination of events in which Justin lost a wife, a large portion of his livelihood and most importantly custody of his daughter. While this is one side of the story it's one the listener will be intrigued by, sympathize with, relate to in parts and overall feel like part of something. It's one mans story filled with accounts and doses of real life as real life phone calls and segments of all the players are filtered throughout the album. Justin sings, speaks, semi-raps, screams and emotes his story to the audience in yet another unfiltered portrayal of his life and psyche at the time. The album is:
Any Man In America
I'll be doing a song by song breakdown and try to relate what I've read of the events and music with anecdotes relating to the past as well as my own personal impressions. I absolutely LOVE this album so I hope I've got everyones interest at this point in following me through this!