‘Poets of the Fall’ remind us that we are never alone

Life is a journey. To get through it, no matter how dreary it can be, you need to be able to grow. To grow, you need to be able to love others and yourself. “Jealous Gods,” the sixth studio album by Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall, promotes growth through love with soft and soulful melodies, fun pop rock, and heartfelt lyrics sung by lead vocalist Marko Saaresto.

The album, released in September of this year, consists of eleven songs and lasts for 50 minutes. Staying true to the band name, the songs are poetic in nature with melancholic undertones that make it worth a listen.

“Daze,” the album’s first song, sets the basis of the album: moving away from the old. This album has a softer sound than its predecessors, and also features more contribution from the keyboard than previous albums. This song is currently the only single released from this album. The album also marked the band’s first venture onto Spotify, a popular music streaming service. In order to create publicity, Poets of the Fall provided each of their albums weekly on Spotify up until the release of “Jealous Gods.”

My favorite song on the album is by far the title track, “Jealous Gods,” the second song on the album. If you choose to only listen to one song of this album, make it this one. Its message is rooted in appreciating what’s around us because it is perfect despite flaws, including ourselves. The band asks if “arcs of soaring rainbows” and “the strength of mother Earth” can fill our hearts, or if we remain jealous gods. The song also embraces our ability to grow together as people. The song strongly features piano against a simple drum beat and soft guitars, against the positive lyrics. Like the rest of the album outside of “Brighter than the Sun” and “Daze,” “Jealous Gods” maintains a melancholic tone in contrast to its positive messages.

Another stand-out song on the album is “Rebirth,” which describes the lengths to which the singer would go for the subject. This song is the one of the slowest on the album, and primarily features a mix of keyboard and acoustic guitar to complement Saarestos’ tenor vocals. The sweet, yet mournful tone of the song makes it beautiful and offers a message of dedication and love to listeners.

The final song of the album, “Nothing Stays the Same,” alludes to the message of growth, ending the album with a soft song that builds into a guitar solo before fading again. Lyrics such as “when sorrow calls my name, I know nothing stays the same,” contrasts with the upbeat message featured in “Daze,” where the singer appears to be excited to move away from the old rather than melancholic. However, the song still encourages listeners to keep going, despite all hardships, because the singer still has an “angel” in his life.

Life can be difficult and dreary, but there will always be someone who cares and will aid your growth into strength and better times. Poets of the Fall reminds us that, while nothing stays the same, we are not alone. Love never goes out of season.