
Artwork by
Carmen MarchenaSolemn Psalms
0:00
7:23
The Recluse
Rough Pass
And to think I said I wouldn’t do this
I didn’t think I had a voice in this sound
But sometimes you just have to try something new
And sometimes, that can be profound
The weight of the world is heavy on the shoulders
Of the one who didn’t ask to be born
And so we send up solemn prayers
To whoever’s around
We don't ask to be found
Just one thing - we ask for relief
2:39
The Divergent
Rough Pass
Cognitive abilities
Different than what you see
“High-functioning”
Fuck that concept, this is not a disease
I’m coming alive
Doing in spite of the world
This is my eclipse
5:04
The Appalachian
Rough Pass
I wonder if this mountain
Would be high enough to save me from this
I wonder if I could throw myself off of it
And let this place be the end of me
Let it take me back
I wish to see this through here
I’ve dreamt of it
My solace: against the rocks, breaking
I tumble to the end of myself
And on the way down, I see them
Yet, my solace: everlasting
In the end, I couldn’t see
I couldn’t breathe
But I was still alive
For a short time more
And on my mind
The pain much worse if I hadn’t tried
I was barely alive
7:23
The Machinist
Rough Pass
Demand, supply, humanity denied
Precious time sacrificed to pad the bottom line
Building castles in the sand that no one cares to see
Meaning measured only in profitability
My eyes don’t see so clearly inside this sterile room
Shaping raw material for masses to consume
Manifest the design, to the letter, to the line
Surrender all control and follow as I’m told
Is this all there is? Is this all I’m to be?
A resource to consume to fill a broken dream
Extract, exploit, dispose, forget
No future to imagine, a lifetime to regret
In the crevices
Of my diseased mind
I feel it rising up into light
Panic, need, to, leave
Find me a place to hide
Just for a little while
And I can breathe in sanctuary
I need to look back and only see
Things that I did that I wanted to
Things I made and breathed life into
Running forwards and falling back
Running forwards and falling back
All progress is pre-determined
So what are the chances
All progress is pre-determined
So what are the chances
7:37
The Introvert
Rough Pass
I used to be in love
I used to feel secure
But now I have this art
But now I have this art
2:15
The Vagabond
Rough Pass
In the darkness
Wandering
Seeking help
Doesn’t seem to work
They’re coming
Or am I paranoid
I want to see
Clearly for the first time
The way is not clear
I’m hiding in fear
But fear from what
A meaningless prison
Ghostly figures marching nowhere
And a glimpse of it came forth
I saw the beacon
Yet I hit the shore
How long will this last
Feeling helpless, worthless
For what it’s worth
I know more now
That I’ve tried
That I’ve fought
Am I getting there?
The path is fraught with obstacles
And I don’t have an axe
The sky is covered by the clouds
They seem to spite me
A meaningless prison
Ghostly figures marching nowhere
A search and rescue
Led by myself
And will I find the source
Of the anxiety
5:52
The Messenger
Rough Pass
You never thought you’d feel this empty
And on the way down you’re pulling us all with you
So all ashore, so all ashore
In the midst, in the quick, in the center of all of it
The quiet, so loud
In the midst, in the quick, in the falling out (so low)
The quiet, so loud
In the midst, in the quick, in the center of all of it
I’m falling, I’m falling out
There’s no way out
There’s no way out
The recipient of this message calls
They want a refund on this toll
It’s taken its toll
On them, on us
It’s taken its toll
It’s driven into the bone
And on and on it goes
On just as foretold
There’s no hallelujah in this sound
There’s no safety in what’s been found
This is reckoning, recording into history
Kill that bird that brought this fell omen
Wring its neck
Beat it dead
And don’t leave your windows open anymore
I’m not calling the shots
I’m just reporting the facts of what’s been seen
Just relaying the message in between
I’m a third party to this investment in pain
There’s no way out
There’s no way out
6:09
The Astronomer
Rough Pass
Two opposing forces tearing me apart
Since I was young, since before it happened
I was pulled apart at the seams of my heart
Couldn’t figure which way was up
So I wondered
Years were spent asking myself how could I know
If I don’t find out
You were the one that showed me
I wish that I didn’t have to say goodbye
This was the first time I truly understood
Life on the other side
Thank you for everything
2021 - what have I become
This mess isn’t sustainable at all
I can’t even take care of myself, much less another
The symptoms are adding up
I can’t even feel myself anymore
This can’t be the life I live
Where I am alone for this
Where I cannot give for you
You were the one that showed me
I wish that I didn’t have to say goodbye
This was the first time I truly understood
Life on the other side
Thank you for everything
Thank you for everything
4:32
The Hidden
Rough Pass
This is a secret song
Only you know of it
It appears in time to those who wait
Diverge...
1:58
Completely created in a span of five intense days after hearing Cult of Luna's seminal album Somewhere Along The Highway.
Alan thanks: Gabriel Yadon, Chris Ragan, Adrian Gutierrez, Tiny, my mom and dad, Thomas Greene, Gavin MacRae, Tim Collins, Heidi McKee, and everyone who ever believed in me and my ability to make cool art
Credits
All music and lyrics written by Alan Brucke, with these exceptions:
Guest vocals and lyrics on track 4 by Chris Ragan
Guest solo on track 6, as well as songwriting on track 7 by Gabriel Yadon
Written and recorded at Hanging Puppet Audio in Walhalla, South Carolina by Alan Brucke
Cover art by Carmen Marchena