If you haven’t already listened to Mobilities’ latest EP Something’s Right, stop what you’re doing and go listen to it now. The EP is a dynamic collection of alt-rock sounds, and we’ve had it spinning on repeat ever since we first laid ears on it.
So, fresh off the EP’s release, we took a deep dive into each of the EP’s four tracks.
Hot off the release of their second EP Something’s Right, Portland-based outfit Mobilities give us a run-down of each track.
Eclectic in style, Mobilities have been honing their distinct sound for the past three years. With such a variety to choose from, this EP is an expression of everything Mobilities loves about music. You can hear a tint of punk roots, a dabble of psych-rock, a speckle of groove jam, and a healthy dose of those sweet sounds that you might hear as a cannon goes off.
End Game
“Keep fighting, stop struggling.” For those who have ever found themselves at the brink of giving up and shutting down, this is a tale of perseverance. The grind can either cause you to crumble and fray, or it can polish and sharpen you. This story is about the strength to pick up the shattered pieces of a life and reassemble them into something beautiful. Find your sanity in this mad world you silly sexy boop.
Created before Mobilities had fully congealed as a musical entity, End Game was really a jumping-off point for the band. One might say it is the song that influenced Mobilities’ dynamic direction. It all started as a six-minute instrumental epic until it’s reemergence in 2018. Since then, the musical number has donned a fresh new hat and lyrics. Remnants of the lengthy instrumental jams can still be heard in the live version of the song released on Sprout City Sessions.
Satellite
Is time linear? Is it cyclical? Who knows? Is consciousness a finite resource, like a clock ticking away until you die? There is never enough time! So definitely don’t stop to smell the flowers, or even taste the honey for that matter. We wanted to poke at the fleeting comfort and significance that an individual can feel in their own fast-held beliefs. There is great power in openness to new perspectives. Flexibility is strength. A willingness to listen to criticism is strength. Could this all just be a game? Try not to take yourself too seriously.
The central riff of this song naturally fell into a 5/4 time signature, and the band never looked back. Somewhat of an outlier in Mobilities’ overall soundscape, Satellite is a fairly new addition to the band’s repertoire. But as Mobilities have settled into their heavier sound, they will always have room for some sultry smooth jams.
The Nothing Box
Named after a psychology term that describes a state of sheer mental oblivion, The Nothing Box casts you into a dreamlike, mystical realm. You may find yourself entranced, only to emerge again wondering where you have been. This is the song that softly plays in the waiting room before you enter the Nothing Box.
Aside from some auxiliary percussion, this psychedelic lullaby was recorded in Mobilities’ home studio. It took its amoebic form as Eric laid down the droning guitar progression and sprinkled some additional spacey guitar leads over it. Brett then took to lathering on some piano, synth, and bass to fatten it up. Finally, some washy cymbals and gongs were added to highlight the climax of the song. This little instrumental ditty was intended to be re-recorded in the studio along with all of the other tracks; but an emotion had been captured in the moment, and it felt disingenuous to try to recreate it.
Son of a Gun
Take a journey inside the mind of someone struggling to overcome an obsession with instant gratification and selfish tendencies. This is not fatalism, not misanthropy, just a healthy acceptance of the darkness along with the light. Life is strange, and it’s short, so let yourself laugh and melt into a smile; just don’t be an oblivious blob or a passive observer of your own life as it floats by. This story returns to the idea that “you can’t take it with you.” Ultimately, the narrator finds solace in the idea that their body and all material possessions will eventually be broken down and returned to dust. And the people will say, “Why, what a beautiful sandcastle you have built!”
In true Mobilities fashion, this song continuously ebbs and flows through a smörgås of musical styles and often finds a home as the grand finale at a Mobilities show. Although mixed in with the band’s signature grungy psychedelic sounds, their ska-punk influences are heavily felt on this track in particular. From there, it seems to be a slippery slope down into a muddy puddle of sludge; they appear to enjoy splashing around down there too.
Along with the newly released EP—recorded and mixed at dB Nation Studios—live versions of End Game, Satellite, and Son of a Gun can all be heard and viewed on Mobilities’ Sprout City Sessions, released in June 2019.
