“Better Now” by The Juliana Theory, Monday, March 13, 2023 (updated repost)
Like Further Seems Forever, The Juliana Theory was legendary in the early pop-punk/emo scene. Also like FSF, The Juliana Theory has ties to hardcore. Lead singer Brett Detar started as the guitarist for Christian metal pioneers Zao, however, as he explains on Theory's episode of Labeled, the band was perfectly content listening to Third Eye Blind on the radio in the van while out on tour. When Theory formed, they signed with Tooth & Nail Records but opted not to be marketed to the Christian Rock format. This decision both helped and hurt their career. On the one hand, they toured with other Tooth & Nail artists and performed at Cornerstone, on the other hand, their initial record sales were quite low.
IT IS GETTING BETTER NOW. Unlike Further Seems Forever, I don't have a deep-seated nostalgia for The Juliana Theory. I heard they were a band name, but I wasn't exposed to their music until college after the band had broken up. While some of their music was catchy, their Tooth & Nail predecessors did a better job at what they set out to do: further the emo/pop-punk genre. However, at the beginning of this year when I heard their two new singles "Can't Go Home" and "Better Now," I found two songs that felt on the level of their predecessors. A big factor in this new Juliana Theory is Brett Detar's growth as a musician. After the Juliana Theory's initial run, Detar released two country albums and composed music for films. Rejoining with guitarist Joshua Filedler, the band is now a duo, which is in line with where music is going. Last year, the band released an EP on Equal Vision Records, Still the Same Kids, Pt. 1. Similar to now labelmates Anberlin, The Juliana Theory has decided to release their album in two parts. We are still awaiting the second parts of both releases The Juliana Theory's and Anberlin's releases, though.
HOLD ON. "Better Now" is an inspirational song celebrating the incremental accomplishments a person who is trying to turn their life around makes. The video depicts three situations in which individuals make a decision to improve their lives from bad situations. From a U.S. Forces veteran who regains his ability to walk, to a drug addict mother who chooses to clean up her life because it's influencing her son, to a mother who chooses to leave an abusive marriage, the message of the video is that change is possible. As the video may be triggering, there are helplines available for various crises. While now may be bleak, music can help us believe that light is around the corner. We just need to hold on a little bit longer. But we don't need to be in a full crisis to enjoy today's song. We should learn to recognize and appreciate incremental change in ourselves and in others around us. As a teacher, this is important, especially when dealing with problematic behavior from students. But if we look at where we are on the journey, we can get a more complete picture. There's hope.
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