The seasons truly are our greatest teachers in witnessing change with grace instead of tearfully raising our fists to the sky and screaming “Whyyyyy” (…yep, we all do that once in a while).
When the rains cease and suddenly life seems to be on pause in the eerie, sun-scorched landscape of a desert – the birds in the sky seem to know it’s time to move on, but do we? It is while standing on the precipice of change that we meet Western rock fusion band Bad Mother Nature, with their hauntingly evocative track “Mad Oklahoma”.
Starting us off with some spectacular freestyle guitar picking that evolves into a tight riff, we are launched into rich harmonies reminiscent of 60s folk rock arrangements. There is something about the soundscape that creates a crystal-clear vision of a blistering sun reflecting on sand that hasn’t felt the touch of a raindrop in years. But Bad Mother Nature seems to be speaking of a dry spell not in a desert, but in something infinitely more confusing…a relationship.
With lyrics like: “Darling I have to fly, please don’t ask me why,” we are transported into a universally relatable moment: when we know it’s time to move on.
Yet the exquisite musicianship and arrangement combined with poetically open lyrics don’t douse this moment in overly heavy emotion. Instead, there is a gentleness and wisdom to the expression which the listener instinctively picks up on. It brings calm to chaos, peace to conflict, and most importantly acceptance to change.
Best listened to while: preparing for your own difficult conversation that’s likely going to start with something like, “…Hey, we need to talk…”
Listen for this moment: 01:55, that exquisite hook which will make you desperately long for Oklahoma even if you’ve never stepped foot in the States before…