pebble brain by lovejoy review: an album that can relate to both teens and adults

By: Leah Cerami

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Will Gold, most commonly known as Wilbur Soot, is a Twitch streamer who has always had a love for music. Once he started the band, Lovejoy, his first album was a huge success. Lovejoy’s Pebble Brain was meant for a teenage demographic, but the album’s reach extends to young adults and people in their late twenties, as well. Not only does the album start off with a fun exciting beat, but it transitions into sad lyrics, sharing the reality of life as an adult, which makes the album more accessible and relatable to a variety of ages. ​

Track one, “Oh Yeah You Gonna Cry?” is a very upbeat song, with a strong trumpet presence. The instrumental work is the perfect start to the album, since it is so catchy and energetic; it keeps listeners intrigued. The song starts off describing Wilbur’s teenage years and his careless nature, opting for a young, happy teenage perspective. This younger point of view then segues into the next few songs, which show an evolving perspective as he gets older.

Going down a few songs to track five, “You’ll Understand When You're Older,” and seven, “It’s All Futile! It’s All Pointless!” the listener gets a glimpse into Soot’s older years. Track five is a story about a boy and a girl struggling to make ends meet at their jobs. Although the song focuses on their love story, there are lyrics like, “They wouldn’t tip you if it healed you,” showing how hard adulthood is. 

The final song on the album, track seven, is a song that talks about the struggle with college, work, and relationships. The song shows Wilbur's frustration with the world. A lot of adults and teenagers can relate to his examples of mental burn out; one example of that can be seen in the lyrics, "I've got to go to work and eat my food/And pay my rent and reproduce then feed those kids/And maybe use a sextant." I find these lyrics sorrowful  because it ends with “and maybe use a sextant,” showing that although Wilbur has all those responsibilities he has to take care of, there is still that part of him that has a passion for geography and learning, which is mentioned earlier in the album. However, instead of being able to focus on his passion, he lives a miserable life, consumed by his job. 

​The album reaches a wide demographic with its stark tone change from beginning to end. The album starts off optimistic and naïve, and ends with Wilbur coming to terms with the sad reality he lives in as he ages. Overall, the album shows a clear, relatable story that many ages can relate to.