Album Review: Augustines Self-titled LP

Austin – The Brooklyn indie-alternative band Augustines (formerly known as We Are Augustines) has come a long way since their short-lived career under the name of Pela. In their self-titled sophomore LP, the earnest trio of musicians has created something wonderful. Something hopeful and visionary, taking you somewhere that is far away but feels as close to your heart as anything ever could be.

These songs will resonate with anyone who has ever felt loss or simply lost in the world, like an alien in a crowd of foreigners.

But more than anything, this album is an album of curiosity and a longing to understand the inevitable, yet heartbreaking, realities of life and love. With stunning instrumentation and heart wrenching melodies, Augustines chart the seas of the deep emotional experiences that develop in the face of life’s unavoidable traumas.

The song “Kid You’re on Your Own” beautifully captures the crushing feeling of anonymity in a community where everyone operates so independently. Reflecting on the seeming obsolescence of personal relationships, the song recounts the monotony of everyday life, where each day feels more socially detached than the day before. The bridge, however, builds to a lovely chorus that somehow speaks in a verbal and sonic language that is relatable to anyone who has been through a trauma, and also conveys the hope that comes with staring up from the bottom.

The song that I found most resonant was “This Ain’t Me”. The repetition of the all too familiar phrase “I can change” followed by an even more familiar motivational tactic, “Said the words just as fast as I could” joined together to create a verse that I found myself chewing on for days. The persistence of the phrase reminded me of our instinct to deny one thing and convince ourselves of something else that is unattainable or not true. In the end, reality catches up and reveals the cold hard truth that simply willing ourselves to change does nothing to actually bring forth change.

“Don’t You Look Back” serves is a pivotal point in the album. The song laments on the tempting desire to cut yourself off from a sorrowful past that is filled with the experiences that make you most vulnerable. A past you wish you could forget. But the longer you avoid it, the more entrapped you feel.

In spite of the desire to start anew after dredging the depths of grief, it is impossible to completely escape the remains of the past that have gone unresolved. In this inventive and deep-seated configuration of songs, Augustines artfully explore the relationship of wanting to move on from past struggles, and feeling unburdened enough by it to do so.

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Ruth Griffin

Hailing from Austin, TX, Ruth Griffin is best known for being a music lover. With a degree in English, she also enjoys writing. And with these two passions combined, Ruth is living the dream and writing about music. She has previously written for TheAustinist.com, has worked at the Texas Music Office, and has twice volunteered at SXSW. In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts, playing sudoku, and watching Arrested Development on repeat.