Diving deep into the bowels of mental health, The Moth & The Flame have produced a sincere song full of serenity – The New Great Depression – and (irony aside) one that also captures the inner turmoil experienced. Their breadth in understanding mental health, in particular depression, is conveyed with great sympathy and shows personal insight into the subject.
The three-member indie-rock-band; Brandon Robbins (lead vocals and guitarist), Mark Garbett (keyboards) and Andrew Tolman (drums) have clearly put their collective hearts into the song, with the video director Will Kindrick having done the same. The video starts as our protagonist – a young boy – senses there’s a “monster” nearby. At first catching only passing glimpses of it until suddenly seeing it more clearly; towering above him, scaring him – while his mother who tries to comfort him sees nothing, and as such struggles to understand. However, when the boy faces the monster he receives a sort of solace and friendship from it, whilst also being led into acting out his frustrations and anger – but again no one sees the monster that caused it.
The opening lines; “Breathe it in, let it out, so familiar now/ Welcome home, been a while…” revealing in partnership with the chorus line; “The monster in my head is ruthless” that the monster is our mental health. And as displayed by the video to The New Great Depression this can have a rollercoaster of effects, from fear, anxiety, anger, and depression to also being a source of comfort and strength such as in the sense of resilience. Its presence as such also changing; from either being at the forefront to the background – possibly symbolising the highs and lows of life. The “monster” in the video displays this by being there one minute and not seen the next. Although it’s never far away.
The New Great Depression ends with the boy (whose suffered more than most) discovering he’s not alone; there are others who are being held in the arms of their “monster”. The video being both symbolic and atmospheric. It’s not preachy, or eye-opening, but serves more as a companion to the song, fitting in perfectly with the lyrics, and visually conveying a personal aspect of mental health that’s hard to communicate – “The monster in my head is ruthless” – but that monster is me, it’s mine and yes it can be hard.
Through open expressiveness, The Moth & The Flame provide a safe space for introspection. Their music teetering to a darker indie-vibe while still being meditative in its effect, and the gentler beats and simple instrumentals having a wider appeal with its offering of tranquillity.
Other songs by The Moth & The Flame we love:
- Maker (2019 – The Moth & The Flame)
- Eliza Eden (2019 – Ruthless)
- Ozymandias (2019 – Ruthless)
- Simple (2016 – single)
Other artists you might like:
- Atlas Genius
- Bad Suns
- Night Riots
- Vinyl Theatre
