Nightly Captures All the Struggles in Their Debut Album “night, love you.”
By Cassidy Brohl
Photo by Zach Pigg
Indie-pop, alternative band Nightly has released their debut album on October 16. This 14 track album has the emotions, sounds, and lyrics you have been waiting for. The band has been working on this album all year and it’s finally out everywhere for everyone to listen to. Breaking the album down track by track, I'll be covering the whole album overall.
Track 1: the car
This song is the perfect introduction to their album. A very upbeat, pop-electronic styled song that talks about love and mending the relationship you had. The main lyric “say the word and I’ll turn the car around” is referring to him letting his significant other know he’s willing to do anything to fix what they had, such as turning the car around. This song was released a couple of weeks before the album and since then, I’ve had this on my everyday playlist.
Track 2: you should probably just hang up
Another pre-release that was one of the first new songs to come out, this song talks about the opposite of what “the car” meant. The beat of this song is a steady tempo with great vocals from the band. This song gets more into the topic of not wanting to hear from the other person because of what happened. Although he misses his past relationship that they called quits with because things aren’t the same, he does not want to hear from them at the moment. This is where the chorus lyric “if you think of calling, you should probably hang out” comes from. He is already thinking about her enough, only hearing from her would make it even worse for him. I like this song’s overall sound! It has a relatable message and the vocals flow through the music very nicely. This one has also got to be one of my top favorites!
Track 3: (howitfeels)
For being the first interlude of the album, it fits right into the theme of the album already. The beginning of the interlude grabbed my attention as I love how the electronic dance beat started. As soon as I heard this track, I instantly got ‘The 1975’ sounding vibes, especially their song ‘The Sound’. Towards the middle of the song, you can hear someone collecting their thoughts as what seems to be about love. From the title, you can get a sense that they have been or are currently hurt about their past lover. This interlude sets the rest of the album up to be amazing, just like the last three tracks.
Track 4: not like you
This song ties back into the message of not being able to forget a past lover. As he is trying to contact them, he feels that they are ignoring him. He clearly still loves the person he was with and cannot forget the things he fell in love with. This song has a very catchy, upbeat tune with background vocals that flow through the song simultaneously, especially towards the end. I really like this song overall. The message is something anyone can relate to, the electronic beats are very catchy and unforgettable, and the band sounds great in this one!
Track 5: mess in my head
After listening to this song, I feel connected to the artist. The band focused on how their partner left their head all over the place which messed them up. It made it so bad that it’s awkward to even be in the same room as them or even hear they’ve been asking about you. With a connecting topic, this one has got to be in my top three so far. I love how the band picks these kids of topics to talk about and connect with their listeners about. This one has more of a steady tempo with a medium paced sound. When listening to ‘mess in my head’, you can hear the struggle in their voice that this isn’t easy for them to deal with, which I find a deeper way to record the track.
Track 6: time online
Just when I thought the album could not get any better, it most certainly did. Hands down, this has got to be my favorite song off the album. I don’t think I’ve ever connected with a song more in my life than this one right here. The meaning behind this song has so much importance with getting through the standards of today’s society. Everyone today is so obsessed with social media and how high their following is, but we never take the time to see what’s important and how we are doing. As the song has a happy-sounding track, the lyrics of this song are very well the opposite. From talking about how you were in your past to how being online is affecting you, this song has so much power. The vocal tracks are nicely done too; the band sounds super cool in this song. Talking about the struggles of always being on your phone or scrolling through social media is something we’re coming to normalize. This topic is important to deeply discuss. It’s okay if you’re not feeling a hundred percent, you’re allowed to show everyone your bad days on social media along with the good. If you’re looking for a certain track to listen to, listen to ‘time online’.
Track 7: whiskey
This twenty-two-second track is very short but lighthearted and fun. This track only says the words: “I’m drinking whiskey when she’s not with me. I’ll take a sip and then I'll take another one. But that’s the problem.” This track sounds like a draft they recorded in the car that they wanted to use on the album but didn’t know where to use it. Making this into an outgoing interlude, it’s a great way to display the fun moments in life that you have.
Track 8: summer
A very happy, upbeat track that was released with the announcement of the album. This song just makes me wanna roll all the windows down and drive down the highway as the sunsets. The indie-pop sound of this sound completes the song, along with the band’s vocals. This song has been on my playlist since the release and I always have this one stuck in my head.
Track 9: older
Struggling with the fear of growing up, the band sings about the topic of being so afraid of getting older and not knowing what to do with their life at that moment since they still don’t feel like they are the age they are. Having more of an acoustic vibe, this song is very meaningful and goes into growing up on a deeper level. Older, along with the other songs on this album, also is a relatable topic that many of us can relate to. Everyone is terrified of growing up and just knowing that we all go through it, especially the ones you love, is just a comforting reminder that it’s okay to fear the unknown.
Track 10: turnpike
This track is another interlude to the album, ‘turnpike’ has a very electric-pop kind of sound. The band talks about driving down the turnpike and having so many thoughts running through your head that just gets too overwhelming. You’re wondering when are you gonna sleep or why you’re so afraid of change when you just need to focus on the moment you’re in right at that time.
Track 11: so sly
Being my second favorite on the album, I love everything about this song. The main message behind this track is that the artist sees that there are problems with his partner in their relationship. She smiles and acts like everything is just as good as it gets but she’s faking it. This is where the title “so sly” comes in. He sees what she’s trying to do and he’s not letting her get away with it. The elements of the vocals and backtrack go together so well that it’s flawless. I recommend giving this one a listen also!
Track 12: lose a friend
The meaning behind this song is the sweetest song ever. After everything he and this girl have gone through, he’s at the risk of losing her as a friend. He admits to her that he regrets what happened between them and made her so upset. You can tell that this girl means the world to him, even if they are just friends. He doesn’t want to let her go. Everything flows together so nicely and the sincerity in his voice is very clear. I’m loving how this song sounds as well!
Track 13: the movies
Discussing how his love with this girl feels like he’s in a movie, this pre-released track is one of the best love songs I’ve ever heard. Everything about this track just completes itself and has a very kind-hearted meaning. Along with the previous track, his vocals also sound very sincere and present.
Track 14: I got so much to tell you
What a great way to close the album! This last song ties into the overall theme of the album which is getting through the rough aspects of life (love, loss, growing up, etc.). The words “I got so much to tell you but I don’t know how to say it” repeats throughout the song. He’s so afraid to tell her everything he wants to say to her. After everything that has happened lately in his life, he doesn’t want to bottle it up anymore. He wants to let her know everything that’s happened and how he’s feeling but he just doesn’t know-how which is making him nervous. The lead vocals in this track give the song an amazing, heartfelt touch. There could not have been a better song to close the album than this one!
Overall, this album has got to be one of my favorites of all time and I am looking forward to the release date so I can non-stop listen to every song. If you’re looking for new music that’s upbeat but sentimental, then this album is perfect for you. Nightly’s album night, love you. is available everywhere now.