The Front Bottoms is one of the best bands in a while. I haven’t been able to stop listening to their song “Twin Size Mattress” and I just watched the music video now, and it made it even more poignant and beautiful. The lyrics are phenomenal and the music is flawless. It’s a true masterpiece.
It opens up with “This is for the lions living in the wiry broke down frames of my friends bodies. When the flood water comes, it ain’t gonna be clear. It’s gonna look like mud. But I will help you swim. I will help you swim. I’m gonna help you swim.” I automatically got chills. Then, the sound gets stronger and it picks up.
“This is for the snakes and the people they bite; for the friends I’ve made; for the sleepless nights; for the warning signs I’ve completely ignored. There’s an amount to take, reasons to take more.” It’s pure poetry; his voice dances atop the music and these lyrics hit hard.
As if all the emotion and gorgeous lyricism wasn’t enough, then comes a bit of humor. “This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in, naked and dumb on a drunken night and it should’ve felt good but I can hear the Jaws theme song on repeat in the back of my mind.” And after that quip, there’s a change- “Make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face.”
It’s just stunning. The last line, after all this, is desperation. It is powerful and haunting. “And my nightmares will have nightmares every night. Oh, every night. Every night.” It leaves you empty, but in the best way. The shouting of this line makes it feel so much like a sigh of relief, like everything is okay.
As for the video, it is visually beautiful. In black and white, the emotion really pours out and all the concert shots and footage of the guys hanging out is adorable. It feels so real, and almost brings a tear to my eyes. It’s, in a word, perfection.