TalkTime - Necessary Evil

Dead Weight

"my dear, how do we survive the teeth of this modern life?"

Musically this song takes some inspiration from one of our all time favorite tunes--Prince's 1999 opener "Let's Get Crazy". The track opens with Prince preaching carpe diem to a rapturous congregation, and to not let the devil ("elevator" was his metaphor for the Devil according to His greatness) take us down. "Dead Weight" is less carpe diem--and more let's learn to deal with the devils within us in order to prevent destruction and extinctions. “Let's Get Crazy” came out in 1982 and helped open a decade of excess and decadence, while "Dead Weight" is much more introspective, and is going to be released during a pandemic and social and economic unrest, and reflects the constant existential crises we're going through as individuals and as a species right now.

-----

Personnel:

Produced by Math Bishop
Mastered by Dave Cooley

Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi
Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen

Additional players:
Drums: Andrew Smith
Keys, Synths: Derek Howa
Synths: Chucky Kim

-----

Lyrics:

My dear, how do we survive
The teeth of this modern life?
Oh you better we wise
And you better know
The fear
when you close your eyes
It’s easy
It can wait it can wait until it’s too late
S.O.S. and down we go

No we never stay the same
But we always have to play the game hey dead weight
hey wait hey
No we never stay the same
But always make the same mistake
Babe hates change
Baby hates change

I feel like we’re born to fight
For pieces, a terrible lie
We’re in paradise
And it’s quite beautiful
Go see the ghost
Show him where it hurts
Knowledge is cure
And you’ll know it’s time to let go you can only be sure
When you start

My dear, why do we survive?
To feel our love come to life
Are we going to be fine?

No we never stay the same
But we always have to play the game hey dead weight
hey wait hey
No we never stay the same
But always make the same mistake
Babe hates change
Baby hates change

Blizzard

Blizzard is about the coldness between people when disagreement turns to a real divide between people. The shitshow that was the Trump administration and all the backwards decisions were weighing heavily on our minds.

It's not a political song per se, but it's about the energy between people when their politics embitters their souls. Even if one isn't politically engaged you could feel the palpable tension rippled throughout our lives.

I guess the song is trying to process that cold divisive vibe into positive energy, and like the chorus says, try to do the right thing "and let go, don't look back"

-----

Personnel:

Produced by Math Bishop
Mastered by Dave Cooley

Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi
Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen

Additional players:
Drums: Andrew Smith
Keys, Synths: Derek Howa
Backup vocals: Sonja Midtune

-----

Lyrics:

So here we are on the coldest fall day
Another failure in feeling okay
We got nothing to say got no love for each other
It's good news gone bad

One thing
Don't feel bad
Don't let go
Don't look back
They're watching
Which you can't change
One wish just to run away

So here were are and I swear its all games
Another failure in seasonal blame
We got nothing to say got no love for each other
We got nothing to say got no love for our brothers
We got nothing but pain getting off on each other
It's good news wanted

One thing
Don't feel bad
Don't let go
Don't look back
They're watching
Which you can't change
One wish just to run away

The Waters

Wrapping our minds around how to live life is like trying to understand the ocean while simultaneously learning how to swim. In normal times that's tough enough, but recent turbulence around the globe from the pandemic to social unrest, political machinations and our climate changing (on top of our own personal struggles in life) is like learning to swim in a tropical storm.

This is the theme of "The Waters", we're all going about just trying to keep our heads above water, struggling for what is the right way to live, finding meaning, and surviving the best way we can. The song asks you to calm the waters within; be patient with yourself and take it one day at a time. Embrace the struggle and help others stay afloat, tune out the noise because we only have each other.

-----

Personnel:

Produced by Math Bishop
Mastered by Dave Cooley

Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi
Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen

Additional players:
Drums: Andrew Smith
Keys, Synths: Derek Howa

-----

Lyrics:

Too bad we blew it
The sudden rush is calling
But half the grief is better
We were cruising happily through
You let her take the fall
You're as drunk as my redeemer

Little after when we touch
Looking at you when its rough

These are the waters
Don't try and force it
The waves will wash away
These are the voices

So contentious
We go our separate ways

You don't have to prove it
First is last to fall and
Nothing gets much better than this
Too many people, half the truth babe
Come out and make it better
Some days you gotta get it

Look around you when you're stuck
It'll turn around with any luck

These are the waters
Don't try and force it
The waves will wash away
These are the voices
So contentious
We go our separate ways

And if you have to choose
No one can do it better
It's something you have to had to lose
But now you gotta get it

undefined

Necessary Evil

It seems like every step we take in modern living we're consuming and destroying. We in "civilized" societies are all participants in a new cycle of life; one where our way of life is destroying the planet. Though some of us as individuals try to mitigate that as much as we can, it's the system in place that we cannot escape.

"Necessary Evil" is about making sense of that modern guilt, the realization of being part of and benefiting from a destructive and wasteful system, but being sensitive enough to know something's not right and wrestling with your conscience. On one hand its a necessary evil to consume, drive our cars and keep living, but hopefully we find a worthy meaning and purpose, or even the divine in wrestling your conscience and trying to be better.

-----

Personnel:

Produced by Math Bishop
Mastered by Dave Cooley

Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi
Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen

Additional players:
Drums: Andrew Smith
Keys, Synths: Derek Howa
Backup vocals: Sonja Midtune

-----

Lyrics:

There was no other way
To come and get ya
The sun is out until
The end of the lecture
You never liked to wait
Soon it won't matter
I never thought to hold enough to get the picture

Sister tell me, where do I begin?
Who will tempt me, and who will let me sing?
With summer ending, don't wanna catch a chill
You better hustle before you think

It's a necessary evil
I'm taking my time wrestle with the devil
Washing my sins to walk through the door

Come and tell me
You tourist of the hill
Before you met me
In a moment you had to fill
Looking for some shade
There's only shadows here
It's more than after thought
A moan in the atmosphere

And before you blink
It's a necessary evil
I'm taking my time wrestle with the devil
Washing my sins to walk through the door of a hell
I wade through my sins to walk through the door

It's a necessary evil
I'm taking my time wrestle with the devil
Washing my sins to walk through the door of a hell-o
I weigh through my sins to walk through the door

U-Turn

The themes of this EP deal with turbulence and conflict, and U-Turn is the perfect closer because it's about gaining perspective and keeping perseverance. It's only natural to feel bitterness and self-pity creep in when you're going through difficulties, but choosing to own it and moving forward anyway is always the light at the end of the tunnel.

"look around you, tell me how you manage a fall?"
"the feeling there is up to you, what you feed in there clearly will be up to you"

There are always ways to play the victim, but accepting what is in your control and to earnestly move forward is a level of actualization that can only benefit you and the people you care about.

-----

Personnel:

Produced by Math Bishop
Mastered by Dave Cooley

Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi
Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen

Additional players:
Drums: Andrew Smith
Keys, Synths: Derek Howa
Synths: Tyler Cash

-----

Lyrics:

Look around you
Hasn't been a walk in the park
Rolling thunder always knowing right where to strike All alone lately waiting for you into the dark
A funny question one you knew the get from the start

Cause the feeling there is up to you
Yeah what you feed in there clearly will be up to you

Melting winter
Dropping all you knew from the top
Nothing's simple
All the things you know you forgot
All alone when you know you shouldn't wait to be heard I thought if only you never signed your name on a curse

Cause the feeling there is up to you
What you feed in there clearly will be up to you The feeling there is up to you
What you feed in there clearly will be up to you

Look around you
Tell me how you manage a fall?
Separated, hurried into ending the call
We kind of jaded sitting at the end of the hall
I'm never fading find me climbing it up through it all

Cause the feeling there is up to you
What you feed in there clearly will be up to you The feeling there is up to you
What you feed in there clearly will be up to you

1

Dead Weight

3:34

2

Blizzard

3:17

3

The Waters

4:09

4

Through the Door

1:08

5

Necessary Evil

5:04

6

U-Turn

4:24

Dead Weight

Necessary Evil EP

©2022 Talk Time. All Rights Reserved.

1	Dead Weight	3:34
Dead Weight "my dear, how do we survive the teeth of this modern life?" Musically this song takes some inspiration from one of our all time favorite tunes--Prince's 1999 opener "Let's Get Crazy". The track opens with Prince preaching carpe diem to a rapturous congregation, and to not let the devil ("elevator" was his metaphor for the Devil according to His greatness) take us down. "Dead Weight" is less carpe diem--and more let's learn to deal with the devils within us in order to prevent destruction and extinctions. “Let's Get Crazy” came out in 1982 and helped open a decade of excess and decadence, while "Dead Weight" is much more introspective, and is going to be released during a pandemic and social and economic unrest, and reflects the constant existential crises we're going through as individuals and as a species right now. ----- Personnel: Produced by Math Bishop Mastered by Dave Cooley Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen Additional players: Drums: Andrew Smith Keys, Synths: Derek Howa Synths: Chucky Kim ----- Lyrics: My dear, how do we survive The teeth of this modern life? Oh you better we wise And you better know The fear when you close your eyes It’s easy It can wait it can wait until it’s too late S.O.S. and down we go No we never stay the same But we always have to play the game hey dead weight hey wait hey No we never stay the same But always make the same mistake Babe hates change Baby hates change I feel like we’re born to fight For pieces, a terrible lie We’re in paradise And it’s quite beautiful Go see the ghost Show him where it hurts Knowledge is cure And you’ll know it’s time to let go you can only be sure When you start My dear, why do we survive? To feel our love come to life Are we going to be fine? No we never stay the same But we always have to play the game hey dead weight hey wait hey No we never stay the same But always make the same mistake Babe hates change Baby hates change
2	Blizzard	3:17
Blizzard Blizzard is about the coldness between people when disagreement turns to a real divide between people. The shitshow that was the Trump administration and all the backwards decisions were weighing heavily on our minds. It's not a political song per se, but it's about the energy between people when their politics embitters their souls. Even if one isn't politically engaged you could feel the palpable tension rippled throughout our lives. I guess the song is trying to process that cold divisive vibe into positive energy, and like the chorus says, try to do the right thing "and let go, don't look back" ----- Personnel: Produced by Math Bishop Mastered by Dave Cooley Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen Additional players: Drums: Andrew Smith Keys, Synths: Derek Howa Backup vocals: Sonja Midtune ----- Lyrics: So here we are on the coldest fall day Another failure in feeling okay We got nothing to say got no love for each other It's good news gone bad One thing Don't feel bad Don't let go Don't look back They're watching Which you can't change One wish just to run away So here were are and I swear its all games Another failure in seasonal blame We got nothing to say got no love for each other We got nothing to say got no love for our brothers We got nothing but pain getting off on each other It's good news wanted One thing Don't feel bad Don't let go Don't look back They're watching Which you can't change One wish just to run away
3	The Waters	4:09
The Waters Wrapping our minds around how to live life is like trying to understand the ocean while simultaneously learning how to swim. In normal times that's tough enough, but recent turbulence around the globe from the pandemic to social unrest, political machinations and our climate changing (on top of our own personal struggles in life) is like learning to swim in a tropical storm. This is the theme of "The Waters", we're all going about just trying to keep our heads above water, struggling for what is the right way to live, finding meaning, and surviving the best way we can. The song asks you to calm the waters within; be patient with yourself and take it one day at a time. Embrace the struggle and help others stay afloat, tune out the noise because we only have each other. ----- Personnel: Produced by Math Bishop Mastered by Dave Cooley Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen Additional players: Drums: Andrew Smith Keys, Synths: Derek Howa ----- Lyrics: Too bad we blew it The sudden rush is calling But half the grief is better We were cruising happily through You let her take the fall You're as drunk as my redeemer Little after when we touch Looking at you when its rough These are the waters Don't try and force it The waves will wash away These are the voices So contentious We go our separate ways You don't have to prove it First is last to fall and Nothing gets much better than this Too many people, half the truth babe Come out and make it better Some days you gotta get it Look around you when you're stuck It'll turn around with any luck These are the waters Don't try and force it The waves will wash away These are the voices So contentious We go our separate ways And if you have to choose No one can do it better It's something you have to had to lose But now you gotta get it
4	Through the Door	1:08
undefined
5	Necessary Evil	5:04
Necessary Evil It seems like every step we take in modern living we're consuming and destroying. We in "civilized" societies are all participants in a new cycle of life; one where our way of life is destroying the planet. Though some of us as individuals try to mitigate that as much as we can, it's the system in place that we cannot escape. "Necessary Evil" is about making sense of that modern guilt, the realization of being part of and benefiting from a destructive and wasteful system, but being sensitive enough to know something's not right and wrestling with your conscience. On one hand its a necessary evil to consume, drive our cars and keep living, but hopefully we find a worthy meaning and purpose, or even the divine in wrestling your conscience and trying to be better. ----- Personnel: Produced by Math Bishop Mastered by Dave Cooley Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen Additional players: Drums: Andrew Smith Keys, Synths: Derek Howa Backup vocals: Sonja Midtune ----- Lyrics: There was no other way To come and get ya The sun is out until The end of the lecture You never liked to wait Soon it won't matter I never thought to hold enough to get the picture Sister tell me, where do I begin? Who will tempt me, and who will let me sing? With summer ending, don't wanna catch a chill You better hustle before you think It's a necessary evil I'm taking my time wrestle with the devil Washing my sins to walk through the door Come and tell me You tourist of the hill Before you met me In a moment you had to fill Looking for some shade There's only shadows here It's more than after thought A moan in the atmosphere And before you blink It's a necessary evil I'm taking my time wrestle with the devil Washing my sins to walk through the door of a hell I wade through my sins to walk through the door It's a necessary evil I'm taking my time wrestle with the devil Washing my sins to walk through the door of a hell-o I weigh through my sins to walk through the door
6	U-Turn	4:24
U-Turn The themes of this EP deal with turbulence and conflict, and U-Turn is the perfect closer because it's about gaining perspective and keeping perseverance. It's only natural to feel bitterness and self-pity creep in when you're going through difficulties, but choosing to own it and moving forward anyway is always the light at the end of the tunnel. "look around you, tell me how you manage a fall?" "the feeling there is up to you, what you feed in there clearly will be up to you" There are always ways to play the victim, but accepting what is in your control and to earnestly move forward is a level of actualization that can only benefit you and the people you care about. ----- Personnel: Produced by Math Bishop Mastered by Dave Cooley Vocals, Guitars, Bass: Edson Choi Guitars, Synths, Omnichord: Mike Nissen Additional players: Drums: Andrew Smith Keys, Synths: Derek Howa Synths: Tyler Cash ----- Lyrics: Look around you Hasn't been a walk in the park Rolling thunder always knowing right where to strike All alone lately waiting for you into the dark A funny question one you knew the get from the start Cause the feeling there is up to you Yeah what you feed in there clearly will be up to you Melting winter Dropping all you knew from the top Nothing's simple All the things you know you forgot All alone when you know you shouldn't wait to be heard I thought if only you never signed your name on a curse Cause the feeling there is up to you What you feed in there clearly will be up to you The feeling there is up to you What you feed in there clearly will be up to you Look around you Tell me how you manage a fall? Separated, hurried into ending the call We kind of jaded sitting at the end of the hall I'm never fading find me climbing it up through it all Cause the feeling there is up to you What you feed in there clearly will be up to you The feeling there is up to you What you feed in there clearly will be up to you