Soap Opera is back and is more psychedelic than ever with the release of their latest EP, Be Fine. The first of a two-part release, Be Fine is made of all the indie rock sounds we would expect from Soap Opera with an added dose of psychedelia and with a heavier emphasis on rock. And the EP hits on the relevant topic of overcoming uncertainty, which is now more relevant than ever.
The idea that everything will Be Fine carries throughout the album. While touching on the uncertainty of the future, fear of making the wrong decisions and dealing with hardships, the tracks send us a reminder that, in the end, it will all be fine.
“Lyrically, this EP is greatly about overcoming uncertainty and change through self-reflection,” says vocalist and guitarist Adam Engram. “Peter [Lannon] & I were both going through periods of big changes when these songs were written in terms of relationships, education, literally everything.
“When writing ‘Know,’ I was just finishing school and was extremely uncertain and anxious about the future, and when writing ‘First,’ I was going through a period of uncertainty and doubt surrounding my recently-ended relationship with my long-term partner, and the choices and feelings that led to that relationship’s end.
“‘Be Fine’ was written lyrically by Peter and depicts overcoming hardship, and treating yourself kindly and respectfully throughout that process.”
But the final track on the release, “In Front,” takes a different thematic direction. Acting as a protest against drunk driving, the track tells the story of how the band encountered a drunk driver following a performance. After successfully stopping him from getting behind the wheel and ensuring he got home safe, the band immortalized the experience by giving it a space on their EP. Lannon’s lyrics, “Oh, what if I had to tell your daughter, oh, what if I had to tell your kids, that their daddy was drinking and driving in front of me?” drive the message home. Also, the track’s changing tempo and reverberated chords help create the setting for the scenario, allowing listeners to grasp the extent of what the band had experienced.
But “In Front” wasn’t the only track for which the band wrote the music to match the sentiment of the lyrics.
“The repeating guitar and arpeggiated synth in ‘Know’ hits home the always-present feeling of anxiety through periods of uncertainty,” continues Engram, “and the soft, shaky-but-smoothness of the guitars in ‘Tension Mountain’ attempt to display a feeling of unsure electricity between strangers.
“‘First’ and ‘Be Fine’ display the punches of directness with their Velcro fuzzed guitars in their respective outros and throughout, and the drums and bass throughout the entire record push the songs along with intent and purpose.”
Be Fine comes three years after the band’s debut full-length album India and includes previously-released singles “First” and “Tension Mountain.” The second part of the release is expected to drop later in the year and is said to contain softer sounds that lean further towards pop and farther from the heavier energy of Be Fine. And though they have been released separately in digital format, the band has plans to release them together on vinyl.
Though the band had planned to tour the album following its release, their shows were all cancelled due to obvious reasons relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Engram adds that “the record also speaks to the current time we’re going through as a whole: uncertainty, change and coming out the other side hopefully better.”