“23” - Lime Garden. A review.

Instantly hooking the listener with a spoken intro, Lime Garden’s new single - “23” is an authentic tune, following the feelings of being lost in life but embracing human connection and even imperfections.

The gritty beginning adds texture to the song, alongside its music video, which is not only filmed on an older camcorder, but also represents physical media in music. For example, the CD at the beginning of the video, the untainted sound of it clicking into the player, being used as a creative concept to start the video and track. To me, I think that this really fits the sincere mood behind the tune, it makes it feel more personal. Being able to hear the small sounds and crackles while waiting for CD to play, slowly transitioning into the spoken intro, it feels like a lost memory from an old friend. It feels like reliving those memories with someone who wasn’t even there, laughing as if those moments were shared with them.

The lyrics are self-reckoning, a confession of facing the inevitable march of time. They’re brutally honest, discussing the pressures of expectations you have set out for yourself, and the fear of fading. However, the chorus radiates resilience “I’m coming around” - a contrast to the sense of melancholy created through the repeated lines such as “wasted time” and “I’m losing my edge” which emphasise a feeling of regret, but also anger at how little time there is left.

The power of this song undeniably derives from its soulful and accessible lyrics. It brings out so many messages whilst being great music. Although a basic statement to make, one of the many brilliant things about this particular track is it how good it sounds! In a world where the music we listen to is slowly becoming more depressing, this song is one of the few which actually make you feel good. It’s a song that doesn’t shy away from issues, “decompose while striking a pose” emphasises how draining everyday life can be, especially keeping up the facade that everything is okay. Also, an obvious link to be made is our social media presence not aligning with our personal lives. Now that isn’t to say we should be posting all of our personal moments, in-fact, that too causes us to “decompose”. From my perspective, I see this line as a jab towards performative perfection as a whole - we shouldn’t spend our entire lives acting as if everything is okay, especially with the little time we do have, which is addressed throughout the track.

I really loved this track, and I think that if you haven’t already you should definitely check out Lime Garden! Follow their socials, @limegardenband for more updates!

Thank you for reading!

Lots of love, Tegan from Quantize x