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Growth And Squalor

by Accents

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1.
Divide 04:02
The shelter I have is not enough for where we are The moon hides its face every night, afraid to die The calendar tells us to wait inside our cage I'll laugh as they send me to hell for what I've done The frames on the walls they come right down And the light seeping through warms the ground We carried ourselves to the rooms we were born in But the doctors had nothing to say on a planned escape I followed a hole in the earth to wait it out The flames came to eat us alive and here we are The frames on the walls they come right down And the light seeping through warms the ground The lines in the sand are all that's left Of our divided land, so now we rest
2.
Way Out 03:07
I'm digging my way out for you I'll find a hole and pummel through To try and change the moon from half to full to new I've been underneath for weeks Finding ways to punish me For acting like a child here You say, "All eyes on me, don't you leave for anything" And the room is yours 'Cus I've seen a lot of simple things that keep a heart from fluttering through an open door I think we oughta level out the sound There's beauty in the unannounced So darling, hear me out: "I'll never let you down" It's hard enough for two When time takes a hold of you and turns you upside down You say, "All eyes on me, don't you leave for anything" And the room is yours 'Cus I've seen a lot of simple things that keep a heart from fluttering through an open door We carry a weight I can't ignore Love is just an open sore waiting for air Clearly I was too fucked up, but now I know I have enough in this time we share
3.
The Fog 03:33
There's a silence, like an empty sheet of paper that I stare at And the sunlight, it gets weaker as we crawl along the foreground Do you remember the fog? This is my heart It's the only artifact that I've held onto (The music brings me back; I've waited long enough to find out this is where I want to be) Not the letters that I never sent to home when I was growing (A simple poetry, so many lines that I can't let go to waste, to waste...) Do you remember the fog? Do you remember the fall? We miss it after all
4.
Storms 03:20 video
There's a hole in our chests that tells me love is no victor. It stays where it is and then heads south just for the winter. All the birds in the sky watch it float on home to its kingdom. I know there's a storm that will find us all. The sun's beating high while the moon's on the opposite side. Like a couple of lovers who sleep well half of the night. The thrills come and go but you can't let the boredom surround you. Yes, I know there's a heart that could warm us all. It's all just a game, though improperly played by my standards. The penalties fall from the lips of innumerable cowards. If you were a friend, then where the hell have you been? God I know there's a love that will find us all. God I know there's a love that will find us all. And god I know there's a love that will find us all. And god I know there's a love that will find us all
5.
Fall in line, far behind Gone is the light Our pace is quick We plant our kiss Steady into the night Leave your sin behind The fever spreads A panicked trend Heads hang in the night The dead hang in the night The kids left with the light
6.
There's a light on from underneath our doorway Like the light that still flickers in your head I won't blame you for trying to find darkness That's alright with me If you climb down from where your heart escaped you We could travel the world in second hand I'll try keeping the devil in the rearview If that's alright with you We'll fade into it Put our faith into it I've got this company that pulls me from my seat If I'm alright for you, I'm alright for me, I'm alright I've been wandering for years among the statues Of beings with much more sense than I But time isn't endless and it could leave us soon So if you're alright with me, I'm alright with me
7.
The Low 04:03
I fell behind within a version of myself I drew a map so you would know where to go Like waves ashore I tried to drown out the sound Of all the voices spilling, "You should've known" It sounded like a lake was forming in me So I built a raft for you to navigate around Uncharted land is such an opportunity Like when your voice starts singing "Don't let me down" That was not the changed man I want to be If you swim your way to me and lay your body down in my hands I'll show you who I am, you'll be in all my plans I'll have a lot to say if not too late Because every time I try to make a better life and focus on the good, I start to weep Once my head allows, I'll put both feet on the ground with you I see the low again I let your love come in I am the low again
8.
Around 03:38
We were talking for months the same, in a way When I got to thinking about the pain So many fools change every day I saw my future become my past - are there things to save? They keep comin' around We were talking for months the same, in a way Then I got to thinking about the games so many fools play Would you say there's a science to closing doors or unlocking them? They'll keep comin' around (Somehow it seems that all of our plans are dead where they stand Somewhere there will be a place for the meek to grow tall and be seen) So now I know apathy, 'cus it's been a friend to me There's nowhere to go now but down And I'm all out of compliments Your heart's the contraband I'll leave you with higher ground
9.
We're all victims of bitterness The age is plagued with discontent And when we meet youth, we never wait We're neither young nor innocent We're not as lost as we pretend Our conversations are a rush of air We only breathe well half the time Imagination's a leaking tap Left to dry up like the Rhine We can swim or we can die God knows your head just isn't big enough for two You get motion sick from chasing tails God knows your television feeds right off of you But it feels like nothing else is alive It's all routine Sometimes I feel you in my mind You always look before you leap That's why my eyes follow you It's like you've found a place to be A place to fall, a place to leap Where all our movements aren’t routine
10.
Sorrow 05:53
Sorrow's a weight I know that you've said the same Our arms get weaker with aging So lover, I know it never strikes only once Because time teases all of us You can't be the one if I am not for you Heaven's around in a most unlikely place If we run, we might miss it So put on your shoes with the laces extra tight Because we've got a world left to cover You can't be the one No, you can't be the one Don't wait 'til tomorrow, let's turn this sorrow into steam Because this time that we've borrowed, it amounts to more than what we need
11.
Follow the wolves, give them your hand. Tell them to quit and get out while they can. But they won't; it's so much easier to die. Swallow the air that tickles your neck. Throw your head back and refuse to forget. That we all change before we know. And we all repent before we go. Borrow a map, get to the coast. The water is warm but it's deeper than most. And they're all diving to get clean. So you'll be a brighter human than me. 'Cus I'm here to bury what I can't grow. And you're here to water the seeds you've sewn
12.

about

ACCENTS came out of nowhere...and in a big way with an astonishingly mature debut that oozes with indie rock bliss. I live for surprises like this. It's quite stunning how brilliantly Growth And Squalor is constructed...the combined result of the genuine, honest and often heartbreaking songwriting of TJ Foster matched with production wiz Benjamin Hemingway's keen knack for making the sweet sound even sweeter. "Alright With Me" and "The Fog" showcase the duo's ability to craft hooks that can't be denied. They take risks on up-tempo rockers like "Routine Movements" and "Divide," while also demonstrating they can piece together stripped-down, emotion-laden tunes like "Storms" and "The Low." When the angelic chorus enters the last verse of Storms, you're left utterly shattered...a moment tender enough to bring tears to the toughest of men. But it is the last track on the record that truly dictates Accents are much more than a one-trick pony. "Sorrow" builds up with an epic arrangement of atmospherics, gang vocals and pounding rhythms that sends chills down your spine. The words make you keep coming back, continually revisiting the album as if it were a call to action for the disillusioned, the jaded and the hopeless. But you'll find comfort in these songs no matter how you feel because of the worn, almost surrendering authenticity to it all. Accents has a masterful ability to juxtapose themes of frustration and detachment so perfectly with hopefulness and encouragement, leaving you content in the peace that indeed...there is a love that will find us all.

"This is one of the best albums of the year [9.5/10]." - Absolute Punk

"It's brilliant...an overall indie-folk musical masterpiece." - Heavy Petal

"More than enough moments of indie rock bliss..." - Bandcamp's Best

credits

released May 8, 2012

Accents are TJ Foster (vocals, guitars, keyboards) and Benjamin Hemingway (bass, drums, keyboards, vocals). They reside in Albany, NY and Dublin, VA, respectively. Lauren Alexander also sang vocals (Sorrow, Divide, Around, The Fog) and performs with the band live. Both TJ and Benjamin are founding members of labelmates and post-rock outfit The Cast Before The Break. Benjamin also has a solo project called Living Chivalry. Jordan Stewart of The Cast Before The Break played guitar on Sorrow. Growth And Squalor was produced by Accents and recorded over the course of a year in two separate studios several states apart...never both band members being in the same room. Mastered by Mike Kalajian (Moving Mountains, Ace Enders, Athletics). Artwork by Matthew Bull.

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With nearly 280 releases in its catalog, fiercely independent Deep Elm Records continues to build a better label - one that operates for glory, not gold. Deep Elm is about bands and fans coming together as one and experiencing music's awesome ability to inspire, comfort and console. We're not just making music together, we're making history. Dream / Create / Record / Release - Now for 27 Years. ... more

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