There is no stopping Nation of Language. With each new single, they further solidify themselves as not only a project to watch, but a project that will stand the test of time.
Musically and emotionally “This Fractured Mind” is synced in perfect step. The introduction builds with a repetitive, almost mechanical and slightly manic, synth hook — lending to the sense of anxiety of being caught in the hamsterwheel watching the world seem to pass you by. Layering on the vocals of Ian Devaney, the track transitions from that anxiety to a sense of euphoria as the song builds and progresses. It’s an incredibly cathartic and genuinely rewarding listening experience.
Discussing “This Fractured Mind” songwriter/vocalist Ian Devaney stated, “After I dropped out of college I spent a number of years delivering pizzas and waiting tables while I lived at home and tried to get a music career going. One ends up spending a lot of time contending with unrealized dreams and feeling jealousy towards those who have moved on. There’s an inferiority complex that can set in, which if unchecked, can lead down a pretty bitter and self-destructive road. This is a song for driving down that road, as indecision and longing and regret cycle together into mania, until finally, at the end, quiet acceptance and peace wash over.
As for the recording itself…For those later movements, we messed around with tape machines, running things at different speeds and sometimes backwards, talking about William Basinksi’s ‘Disintegration Loops’ and trying to see how we could achieve a similarly somber, ethereal ambiance, but in a comparatively very small space. This one in particular serves as a good example of how, on the album as a whole, we wanted to find a balance between steady motorik endlessness and more spacious ambient moments.”