Is it chance or design? A universal question without an easy answer. Are differences in philosophy and ideology an inconvenient truth or a manufactured disaster? When you say you love me but treat me like the dirt under your feet, should I take your words or your actions at face value? I could abandon my cat alone in the house for days (I would never) and still get unconditional love when I return (for about five minutes before he’s totally over me). The human heart, sadly, is more fickle than a feline.
Edmonton’s Nature Of steadfastly explore the nature of human relationships. They won my heart in 2014 with their debut LP and have returned in 2017 with “Bottom Line” to melt it into a gelatinous mess. Its rhythm is a casual, confident strut; its winsome folk melody conveys hope and disappointment in the same breath and the sense that even after misunderstandings and missed opportunities, two parties can build connections and find common ground. Personally speaking, a more affecting song couldn’t have come my way at a better time. Was it chance or design? That’s an answer only the universe knows, but either way, I’ll take it.
