“Worth It” by Kodaline, Thursday, July 28, 2022
In 1946 George Orwell wrote in an essay titled "Politics and the English Language": "In our age, there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia.” In my lifetime, there seemed to be a time when we could be ambivalent toward the democratic process. We could sit in our homes on election day in good faith that the majority want the right thing or even stew in our own cynicism that the two candidates were different faces to the same policy. But look at how choice has been effaced.
A BEAUTIFUL WAITRESS WHO JUST COULDN'T MAKE IT. The third record by Irish pop-rock band Kodaline titled Politics of Living isn't an overt political statement, but more of a casual jab at 2018 zeitgeist. Cynical reviewers panned the record as Kodaline's attempt to enter the U.S. market. The album's production and song structures do suffer a bit from the "Coldplay effect," a term that has many definitions that ultimately mean a band imitating Coldplay to the point where their music is indistinguishable from other bands. However, Politics of Living is a bit of a move to the band redefining their sound as their sophomore record Coming Up For Air received the band's worst reviews, holding a Metacritic rating of 3.9 out of 10. Although the band's first record In a Perfect World also received mixed reviews, their sound was arguably less derivative. Rather than stepping back into comfortable territory, though, the band pushes forward with EDM and Gospel-inspired tracks. The result is better than the last time, but autotune seems to kill much of the personality in lead singer Steve Garrigan's voice.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WORTH IT. The fourth promotional single from the record prior to Politics of Living's release in September of 2018, "Worth It" is also the fourth track on the record. The band tweeted about the song, how it was originally more of a rock song, and the band decided to pass on it. Producer Jonny Coffer, however, reworked the song, making it fit into the third album's style. The song is partially inspired by a song by Kygo that featured Kodaline, "Raging." The anthemic "Worth It," is a musical contradiction in that most anthemic rock has a positive, definite message. Garrigan, though, brings the energy of an anthem and EDM drop leaving the listener with a question, "Is it worth it?" And Garrigan answers, "I don't know." Kodaline's music is never bleak, but Garrigan also doesn't shy away from addressing his struggles with mental health in the band's music. Heck, Chris Martin spent a whole breakup album (Ghost Stories) making their listeners feel better. Listening to Coldplay, OneRepublic, or Imagine Dragons is uplifting. We don't have to think; we just receive our encouragement like a feel good church service. Kodaline delivers the anthem, but leaves us with a question rather than an answer.
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