#to think this started because i said melodically i love 18 oskaloskaoskaoksakos

[ghost-of-you]

please do share unpopular opinions (or just opinions in general) about CALM ty in advance 💕💕🥺

Okay, I'm not sure if my opinions are unpopular but let's go.

We start this off so fucking strong, Red Desert is hands down their best album opener, i love how this has Ashton written all over, the drums in it make me feel like I'm riding a horse while running away through the desert, the harmonies, the buildup, everything about it, amazing. Then we move on to no shame and the "fuck the industry but god i love it here", the lyrics in this paint such an entertainer, I live for the applause thing, buried in some of their cooler melodies to date in my opinion. Old me is the ultimate "everything i did and everything that happened to me made me who i am and i have to live with that whether i like it or not" and i love it so much "had to fuck it up before i really got to know me" that turns into a "had to fuck it up before i let you get to know me" that's life for you right there, some of their most meaningful lyrics. And we get to easier. I have a complicated relationship with studio easier, I think sonically the vault version fits 5sos so much better than the studio version, but I got to admit, current me eats the studio version of this song up, the drums that sound like they're being played with a pipe, the high notes thrown flawlessly all around, the synth layer in the guitar, the vocals, the bass you can feel in your soul, the catch lyrics, honestly, very nice song. Also, again, who told Luke he would never change?? And then we get to teeth, "we're toxic but i love every second of it", the bass alone in this song is enough to drive me feral, but everything around it builds up beautifully, the lyrics, the guitars, the drums, the high notes, great song all around, "late night devil put your hands on me and never never never ever let go", amazing, blew me away from the first time i heard it, i remember saying i wanted that tattooed on me the day it dropped. Then we move on the mandatory song about sex, wildflower. "the song is about abundance" sure Calum, sure. One word for you, HARMONIES. Also love me the mandatory Calum solo song we get every album. It just makes me happy. And now we're done with side A. I feel like this album has a very clear division, and I don't know if its because by the time it came out we had heard the first 6 songs or if its because the division is actually there.

Side B begins with Best Years, look, I think its a cute song, i like the vibes, i like the guitars, but it just doesn't stand out to me, its not bad, its not good, its just there, but i gotta give it to it "I wanna hold your hand while we're growing up" is exactly what I want out of love. Then we move on to not in the same way yet another "we're toxic but I'm loving every second", this song has THE best bridge 5sos has ever written, I don't care, I'm right, also "we fuck and we fight and you call me a psycho", the pre-chorus, chefs kiss, the way it just perfectly describes the being trapped in a cycle, and the way that's exaggerated because the guitar in this is the exact same the whole song, you're just cycling through two notes over and over and over, but we are still getting an insane buildup around the bass and the drums, ugh, talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same. Then we move on the song that made me wonder if I can make a song my whole personality, everything about lover of mine is perfect, the only bad thing about it is that it ends, the piano in the beginning, the acoustic guitar riff all around, the electric guitar riffs sprinkled in, Luke's voice, the harmonies in the back, the way we just have the strings until the drop of the drums for the second verse and the way the drums complement the melody, also, when Calum comes in, I get that he likes his high notes, i get it, but his lower harmonies always drive me crazy, and in this song in particular when he comes in I just lose it, the second pre-chorus and chorus of this are everything to me and then the outro when we get the piano back, ugh, i wish i could listen to this song for the first time again, cuz it changed me as a person.

Then we go to thin white lies, love me a good song that's completely built around the bass, the instrumentation in this song is insane, honestly, the bass, the guitars, the beat, mindblowing, and the lyrics "I don't feel your love and i don't ask too many questions" "these empty sounds and endless stories so tell me what i wanna hear" the way its just "this relationship is slowly killing me but i need to pretend a little longer so keep lying to me". Lonely Heart, this song, the way its just the guitar riff and Luke's voice, and then it just drops for the chorus, the harmonies, the little ohs and ahs in the back, the drums only bridge, that leads to a just one guitar and a high note and the drums kicking in again, ugh, gets me every time, and don't get me started on the lyrics, "I'm bad for you and we both know it, but stay with me anyway," excuse me???????? "Can i have a second chance can i have another dance can i start another life with you" excuse me????????????????? And we go from this to high, like way to kick me when I'm down. The play with words on this song fascinates me. "I think that my heart was built to last more than a night" "I know I'll never meet your expectations, but the picture that you paint of me looks better in your mind" excuse me did they really need to write this???? And the melody is pretty much just the guitar riff and harmonies and that makes such an interesting sound. And it makes the album end in such a contrasting note to red desert, since red desert revolves around the drums, honestly, amazing closer.

And now we get to the bonus song, my little love, kill my time. I strongly believe there are like, 5 different romance movie plots hidden in this song, one of their biggest strikes of genius in storytelling, it just paints a picture, honestly, if I'm really into it llwhen I'm listening, I can see the movie playing in my head, and the 80s pop feel???? AMAZING. The guitars, the synth, the beat, the song not really ending, just fading out, ooof, one of their best songs in my humble opinion, "stained hearts trying to find a home looking for something real" yeah.

Solid album all around, a bit chaotic and not at all cohesive, but it works.