Thoughts on Noah’s song (this was fast and I’m not done thinking about it yet, but I’m all fired up lol. Let me know what you think!)
I know no one is asking for my opinion, but with all the deep thinkers dropping in on “Trying Too Hard” being “oh my god could it be any more Radiohead” I thought I’d share my bit.
*Disclaimer, this is my take, his intentions aren’t any of my business obviously.
First, the songs on L.E.T.H.A.L. didn’t remind me of Radiohead, and he wrote a lengthy justification on his Bandcamp site about how the work was his and his alone, so why is this song so clearly Radiohead and Thom Yorke inspired?
I think he’s created a song that reflects his legacy and personal history and perhaps his struggle with both.
The first line of the song Expecting a different ending every time references the saying “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Maybe he’s referring to the challenges of pursuing his own artistic development in the face of people who will always downgrade his efforts in comparison to his father.
The song has both thematic and musical connections to his past.
Thematically of course is “Sail to the Moon” because it’s a lullaby Thom wrote for him, but I also hear “I Will” both in the low guitar notes in the intro and in the approach to protecting the vulnerable or a child.
I also hear a connection to a line from “Optimistic.” Thom has mentioned how many times Rachel had to smack him upside the head when he was so focused on what he hadn’t accomplished that he was ignoring what he had. You can try the best you can, the best you can is good enough seems to connect with Yeah, don’t freak out, you’re trying too hard.
In terms of musical connections, at 1:15 the tinkles similar to “Daydreaming” kick in, which (to me at least) are transitional sounds that tell us to wake up or be alert because something different is happening and it’s time to focus on what’s important or real.
In “Trying Too Hard” they seem to signal a change from the first half to the second, from things are okay, be calm, to direct instructions about not wishing or hating yourself and recognizing that you’re right here. He will have to keep trying but he needs to recognize that the best you can is good enough. The tinkling sounds intensify on that line too, so it’s a call to be here now.
When he hits the ascending You’re trying too hard with a poignant harmony and angelic soaring voice, I feel a connection to “Dawn Chorus” when Thom sings Shook up the soot, from the chimney pots, into spiral patterns, of you my love, which represents Rachel as a spirit in the world who brings meaning and perspective, perhaps into both of their lives. It something his mother would say, but now she says it in his heart.
There might be a better fit, but I also think electronic sounds at the end of “Trying Too Hard” connect with the end of “Pyramid Song,” There was nothing to fear, nothing to doubt…
I think this is a self-conscious composition that combines the influence of both his parents: Thom’s idealism and musical vernacular and Rachel’s pragmatism and very human advice for highly creative people.
For someone who has lost a parent and who will likely always be compared to a musical legacy of staggering proportions, perhaps he chose to confront and embrace both head on, paying homage to his mom and dad in a song filled with love and beautiful aspects of both their lives.
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