Providence, RI-based artist TMYGN traces loss, love, family, and perspectives of home across his excellent new full-length, Where Time Goes. Spanning indie rock, alternative, folk, and pop-punk, the debut draws from 16 years of songwriting, connecting youthful memories with the perspective of adulthood, partnership, and fatherhood.
A solemn sense of loss emanates on opening track “Darkest Room in the House,” propelled by introspective acoustics and poetic lyrical imagery. “The darkest room in the house where you used to stay,” TMYGN sings, depicting a “space once full of light” becoming dimmer each day. “In the storm, our branches bend, but our roots will prove strong,” the lyrics continue, capturing the endurance of bonds in the midst of personal tumult, including death; TMYGN started writing the song after his father passed away in 2010. The hopeful “we’ll meet again” line carries into lush piano touches, delighting in the gradual expanse to twangy guitars and string-laden chilliness. Right away, TMYGN’s personally affecting songcraft is on display with “Darkest Room in the House.”
The strong songwriting continues throughout the album, particularly on “Simple Things.” This production shifts from the opener’s folk-forward contemplations to a peppy rock pulse, adorned by an anthemic title-bearing chorus and array of chirpy electric guitars, spacey synths, and brisk rhythms. The “for that I thank you” bridge excites into the “all the simple things to make up my dreams” hook, which radiates both power-pop and pop-punk energy in the jangly guitars and emotive lead delivery. The refusal to let “tomorrow decide what’s next for me” exudes confidence and motivation, pairing with an embrace of the “simple things” for a resonating perspective on making the most of life.
Ensuing track “Only We Know” flows with palpable yearning in its “you’re always on my mind” opening admission, complemented by tender guitar work and resembling a throwback to ’90s alternative. “Come over tonight, share a bottle of mine,” consuming vocals beckon as twinkling keys infuse, inviting the listener to “dream up a world of our own” and envisioning a solitude from the daily grind. The multi-layered harmonic soaring and smitten lyricism drive into brassy blares for a firmly replay-inducing impact. Elsewhere, “Back to You” muses on gravitational pulls in the context of returning to a beloved, reflecting on time spent alone alongside prancing piano, though culminating in a stirring “you’re the tide, I’m the moon” ardor; it’s another shimmering dose of emotive songwriting from TMYGN.
Album finale “Home(s)” is the album’s lengthiest effort, at nearly six minutes, and also among its most heartfelt. “Chicago, I’ll miss you,” the lead voice opens amidst steady acoustic strums, moving onto gratitude for Peoria while remarking “I am home” while traversing through various memorable locales. Twangy guitar and harmonica delight in their intertwining during this cathartic central hook, the delivery there recalling peak Counting Crows. Its second half is fantastic as well, strutting shades of Kaputt-era Destroyer in its absorbing interplay of brass, guitars, and keys, before arriving into an optimistic send-off. A full-length with wonderfully consistent songwriting, Where Time Goes is a strongly captivating output from TMYGN.
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