“Hey, do you wanna come over? I got a record to play us, like back in the day…”
Regardless of the borderlines that divide us, two universal languages exist that unite. Transcending constructs of culture and time, music and mathematics defy the conventions that keep mankind apart, enabling opportunity for understanding of each other and our world.
Although clearly one for words, the magic of numbers cannot be denied. Mathematics as a discipline is intrinsic to the study and creation of music, and without it song would simply not exist. Beyond this commonality, every once in a while, via unique interplay with the metaphysical, numerology also comes into play.
Such is the experience of 311‘s fourteenth studio album, Full Bloom. Colloquially agreed as the greatest decade in musical history, 311 formed on the cusp of the 1990s. Their positivity conveyed through a complexly complimentary blend of rock, reggae, rap and funk garnered immediate attention, their success enduring some 33 years.
Recently the band’s ‘renaissance’ has begun, spawning an invigorated touring schedule and surging sales figures. The statistics speaking for themselves, there is indication of divine power on their side, also. A cosmic coincidence perhaps, fewer numbers resonate higher than 3 and 1, and in sequence their presence tells us – this is the precise time for a spiritual reawakening.
Hearing ‘it comin’ like a train in the distance’, You’re Gonna Get It opens in resounding fashion. The band’s highest charting US single in 13 years, the lead perfectly reacquaintances us to 311’s sound. Hitting early, its effect is doubled by the secondly released single, Need Somebody, both communicating strong messages of action with positivity.
The title track is the ultimate display of the band’s mission statement, luscious melodies calling us to ‘come together’ and ‘never give up faith’. ‘Though sometimes we might forget’, NICK HEXUM reminds us that the band ‘are all about a connection with every single section’, and this is a song for all; each and every one of us are considered a Friend.
The definition of short and sweet, Full Bloom exceeds the 30-minute mark by mere minutes but each is pure bliss. The climb to the midway Mountain Top musing upon whether things were better ‘back in the day’, the overarching message is clear. Inconsequential, if ‘we don’t change’ we can never reach New Heights; if we daydream of Days Gone By we miss our chances now.
A beautiful dedication, Persimmon speaks perfectly of love and its experience. Poetically articulating the small things that mean the most, its resonance is both intimate and universal. Describing something in particular and at once All You’ve Seen, Full Bloom closes Braver than ever; an album which, through the sum of its parts, captures the very magic of music.
311 IS TOURING AUSTRALIA AS PART OF GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL.
Get Your Tickets Here
