11 FUNDAMENTAL LESSONS TO ACHIEVING YOUR ULTIMATE "TURNING POINT" ACCORDING TO GOOD TERMS
Sleep, wake, eat, work… like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our lives. It can get stale. It can become boring. Our routine and the current situation can chisel at our self-worth and not only make us question ourselves but our relationships too. One thing we all tend to turn to during this lackluster time is music. Lucky for you, your friendly neighborhood emo band Good Terms has released their feature full-length album "Turning Point", just in time for your quarter/mid-life crisis.
1. All I Can
Distance makes the heart grow fonder... right? Let's talk about relationships. Romantic or not, they're hard. They take a lot of work to keep afloat. The guys at Good Terms know a thing or two about keeping a relationship strong. "There are few things more difficult than accepting that your dreams, and the reality of achieving them, will directly conflict with the ease and success of your relationship. 'All I Can' is a plea for patience, a promise for the future, and the belief that there can be more to a long-distance relationship than just asking your partner to wait for you."
2. Hamster Wheel
I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days when you were actually in them. The guys encourage us to stop every once in a while and take in life around us throughout the hustle and bustle. "'Hamster Wheel' is our reminder to make the most of the time in front of you and to stop dwelling on past mistakes. If playing it smart and safe is making you feel like a waste, don't be afraid to make a change. You don't have to spend your life going through the motions, it's not too late".
3. Light At The End
Mirror mirror on the wall, what the fuck is going on? "When faced with periods of declining self-worth, financial hardship, and disillusion with adulthood, happiness can feel like a destination that is impossible to reach. Especially during the pandemic, the path that we once hoped could take us there has become increasingly difficult to visualize. In 'Light At The End’, we remind ourselves that when life continues to offer nothing but defeat and despair from every direction, we must believe, even blindly, that things can get better".
4. Wither Away
Let’s face it, that twelfth cup of coffee under a flickering fluorescent light is getting you nowhere. Your boss doesn't appreciate you and Calvin in accounting brought his leftover Mexican food that still lingers in your cubicle three hours later. The guys know exactly where you are, and they encourage you to break away instead of “Wither Away”. "'Wither Away' was born out of the desperation we felt from wasting our early twenties living lifestyles that routinely depleted our creativity and inspiration. We were tired of following a monotonous and predetermined way of living and ached to feel passionate about our lives again. After a rough day that felt like the last straw, the first words of 'Wither Away' effortlessly spilled out, and thus began Good Terms".
5. Sand Castle
A brutal truth: nothing is forever, and all good things sometimes come to an abrupt end. Good Terms shows us how to cope with that loss and lack of control. "We don't usually begin something with the end in mind. People we love may leave our lives for reasons out of our control, and we have to reckon with the emotions no matter what. When beautiful things are coming to an end, 'Sand Castle' asks if we should hold on until the end, or learn to let go. In the crashing wave of time, there is no wrong answer, but also no escape".
6. Chess
It's time to take your screaming out of your pillow and out into the world for all to hear. "Born of post-breakup ramblings frantically typed into the Notes app, 'Chess' aggressively asks, 'am I enough?' This question, especially in the wake of forgiving infidelity, is a frustrating one. If you listen close enough to the intro, you'll hear the whole band reciting quotes that inspired 'Chess', let’s see if you know your Vonnegut".
7. Pedestal
In the midst of cancel culture, it's hard to turn to those we idolize, especially when we go through a tough time. Disappointment is inevitable and the guys know your pain. "Fandom is a strange thing. Deep down we all know that the artists we love need to be free to create what is most honest to them, but it's difficult when that art doesn't meet our expectations. 'Pedestal' is about our frustration from being let down by our heroes and our anger toward ourselves for letting our disappointment affect us so viscerally. It's disheartening watching those we admire create something not only bad but untrue for all the wrong reasons."
8. More Than I Deserve
Roses are red, violets are blue, are we exclusive? 'Cause I have no clue... "'More Than I Deserve' is about asking your partner to fight for your relationship when your fear of commitment eventually drives them away. Even when you know that you're in the right relationship from both an emotional and logical standpoint, an unspoken pressure to take the next steps together often adds a lot of stress to something that should otherwise be solely a source of happiness."
9. Useless Things
Good Terms tells you to pack up the "Useless Things", and Beyoncè tells you to move it to the left. "'Useless Things' is about the inner turmoil experienced when you know you need to end a relationship, but don't feel like you have the strength to do it. We're all the heroes of our own story, which makes it so much worse when we have to be the villain in someone else's. When you start to fall apart just to keep a relationship together, sometimes you have to cut your losses and trust that everyone will be better off for it in time."
10. Wasted My Age
You can't change the past, but Good Terms reassures us that you can definitely shake up the present. "Fear has a tendency to dominate our decision-making, especially when we're not aware how afraid we really are. 'Wasted My Age' is about finally releasing that your life is moving in the wrong direction and that the window to change course is quickly shrinking. It's our motivational plea to ourselves to stop regretting the past and to start improving the present".
11. Turning Point
Hard work pays off. "'Turning Point' is a celebration of the moments that have brought possibility and excitement back into our lives. We all often find ourselves in relationships that have turned lackluster. After a while, it can be easy to start believing they're all we deserve. Luckily, sometimes all it takes to shake us from that illusion is a small but genuine act of kindness, passion, or warmth. When these moments hit, they can feel like waking from a bad dream and receiving a new lease on happiness and joy".
"Turning Point" is the ultimate pep talk from Zach, Brian, Ivan, and Geo. "Turning Point" teaches us to put aside our fears, and to embrace a new life journey. "Turning Point," tells us to let the seeds we plant in the cracks and crevices take root as we give them space to grow. "Turning Point" inspires us to write a farewell letter to our past, a love song for our present, and a wish list for our future. "Turning Point," tells us to break out of the resentment, complacency, and callousness the world can sometimes throw at us, all while making rad shit with our friends. Good Terms is here to remind you that "you're capable of joy".
Sam Laponis (@blkheart.audio.visual)