In Rolling Waves 
The Naked and Famous
Released by Somewhat Damaged
This second studio album by The Naked and Famous, an alternative band from New Zealand, is a brilliant compilation of beats and lyrics that echoes one message—life comes in rolling waves, sometimes good and sometimes bad.
The first single released from this album, “Hearts Like Ours,” is a song that immediately hits with a simple yet effective rhythm that reverberates along with the lyrics. This song is something you can relate to because it is about facing and taking on life and the things it throws at you, along with the things that it gives you. “There’s an animal inside/There’s a fear that won’t subside/Of all the things I’ll never do/Will I ever follow through?”
The fear of what isn’t done is a prevalent theme in not only this song, but in the entire album, along with the fear of the “animal inside” that wants to do everything that it can.
It is not just about being spontaneous or adventurous, it is also about dealing with those issues that serve as a constant subtext in our lives.
“Grow Old” and “The Mess” do this bluntly. They talk of guilt, remorse, and pain in simple lines that speak for themselves and are amplified by the simple background rhythms and crowned by the epic climaxes of the beat when the pivotal statement—”in rolling waves of incidents/You’ve made your bed now sleep in it you prince.”
This selection from “Grow Old” paired with an intense crescendo of electric guitar strumming that is followed by a minimalistic ending finishes this song with a haunting “I screwed up” sort of message.
This album is deceptive in its nature as a primarily electric piece. It initially draws attention with cascading rhythms but is truly riddled with meaning and heart.
The single “Rolling Waves” is what makes the album. It is simple and bare—an anthem of sorts—which advocates letting go and letting the rush take you in whatever way that it does.
