With the release of their latest single, "Everything I'm Missing," The Thing With Feathers effortlessly marry their alt-rock sensibilities with the style of 2000's pop-rock. The result is the most nostalgic sound in the Nashville band's catalogue, but with the same immediacy of their other work. It feels less like looking back on the past and more like realizing you're living in it. The instrumental leans on the band's strengths: bittersweet bass, punchy drums, and memorable hooks all rendered in a clean and clear mix. The writing, however, softens the track into something more aching than forceful. As soon as one section builds momentum, it releases into free fall. Everything gorgeously rolls like waves, allowing the soft but dominant vocals to coast.
The central emotion of "Everything I'm Missing" is much more difficult to pin down than on first glance. The poetry of the lyricism (among the group's best to date) suggests something more nuanced than FOMO. "Lately I'm drawn to this constant commotion / I can't afford to start to settle down." The words skip like a smooth stone over water, threatening to sink to the seafloor. The foreboding sense that everything might suddenly be plunged into darkness at a moments notice is prevalent in the sound and lyricism. Remarking on how disconnected life can make you feel, especially when its changing so fast ("stuck in this daydream, and it keeps going on and on"), the whirlwind of touring and performing is undeniably a driving force behind this song's subject. It's exciting to be caught up in the commotion, but it can also be difficult to process.
The Thing With Feathers have made a name for themselves in Nashville's underground music scene for their unapologetic alt-rock jams. Equally as dedicated to introspection as dance, the band's discography is connected by their visceral appeal. "Everything I'm Missing" is just the latest single teasing towards their upcoming EP. 2022 saw the band kicking into high gear: releasing multiple singles, touring, and being featured at South By Southwest. With the forthcoming release, this year is undeniably going to be even bigger for The Thing With Feathers.
Written By Andy Mockbee
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