Museic - Flyleaf

Museic: Bands, songs, and albums that inspire my writing 

This edition features:

FLYLEAF - Memento Mori

Flyleaf's Website  ~  Flyleaf on Myspace

Lacey - vocals

Sameer Bhattacharya - guitar

Jared Hartmann - guitar

Pat Seals - bass

James Culpepper - drums

I'm sure some of you have heard of this amazing band, but
if not, now you can learn about one of my favorites!

Bits of the album description from the band's site 
(full description here):

Flyleaf bleed, grow, love and live on MEMENTO MORI.

Lacey describes MEMENTO MORI best. "This album feels like an emotional rollercoaster. While listening to it, I was holding my breath at points. The issues definitely got heavier and a little more intense."

Flyleaf titled the album MEMENTO MORI—a Latin phrase meaning "Be mindful of death"—in order to remind the world how precious life is. The band tries to take advantage of each and every opportunity presented to them, and they're an example of dreams coming to fruition through never giving up. For Sameer, that sentiment of living every day to its fullest is essential for creating music. "Each day is a new beginning. It's never too late to become the kind of superhero you imagined you'd be when you were a kid."

These sonic superheroes have created an experience for listeners, stretching far beyond the recorded sounds. Flyleaf looked over the 13 songs that would become MEMENTO MORI, and saw how they all come together to form a sort of parable if you listen from start to finish. Lacey evinces, "Every track is like another chapter of the story. In my head it feels like a movie. The story becomes a parable for important life lessons we’ve learned over the years. After coming through these life and death experiences, we have learned to be more grateful and purposeful with the time we are given. We want to pass the torch at the end during ‘Arise.’ Perhaps someone will come away from the story and be more grateful and purposeful with their own life and the world will change for the better."

Lacey concludes, "I want to let kids know that they have a purpose and can do something great. I believe that one hundred percent. Growing up, my mom was a single mom with six kids. We struggled for absolutely everything. Here we are now with so many blessings. It doesn't even feel real sometimes. I just feel so thankful."

Why MEMENTO MORI is Museical:  This album is, in a word, epic.  It RAWKS.  The songs are intense and the messages deep, and I love getting swept up in the stories in each one.  When I first began listening to it, I was instantly reminded of the MC of my current WIP.  She goes through some dark, dark stuff and has to work through it, and like this album, hope and love are waiting at the end.


Tracks (*faves*):

1. Beautiful Bride
2. Again
3. *Chasm*
4. *Missing*
5. *This Close*
6. *The Kind*
7. *In the Dark*
8. Set Apart This Dream
9. Swept Away
10. *Tiny Heart*
11. Melting (Interlude)
12. Treasure
13. *Circle*
14. *Arise*

Quirk: This album makes me want to cheer and cry simultaneously.  Some of the songs are so hopeful while others are tragic, and all are beautiful and amazing.  Few bands have succeeded to rock me musically as well as emotionally, and I can't wait for more of the awesomeness that is Flyleaf.

(Listen to select songs in the player at the very bottom of the blog.)

Rating:  Royalty