MARLBORO - Being Divine
posted 24 Dec 2018 by Krister Axel
The cognitive dissonance of our time: we are expected to be divine, with no support for the stutter-steps that just might have gotten us there.

Like this content? Dropp us a tip.

It’s a truly modern sense of lyricism, right on the cusp of indie-rock, with a distinct college flavor, and a sort of Rushmore-style coming-of-age moment. It’s a validation of one’s own feelings; we so easily get stuck in this social labyrinth of dead-ends, paralyzed by the fear of failure, or worse: judgement.

The sense here is of simply finding somewhere to put two feet on the ground.


The grass grows from the gutters of my parents’ house
I rubberneck and cruise right by
ain’t got no time to lend a helping hand
ain’t got no time to be a loving man


And this, to me, is the best type of musical catharsis; the one that reveals a simple and universal truth. I remember struggling with this as an unwashed newcomer to turn-of-the-millennium Los Angeles: why are we expected to be a certain kind of person, when all of popular media points us the other way?

It’s the cognitive dissonance of our time: we are expected to be divine, with no support for the stutter-steps that just might have gotten us there.

MARLBORO is a town, is a trap, is freedom, and is the most recent incarnation of songwriter and country son Dante DeFelice (based in New York). This song is featured on our CHILL NEW Songwriters playlist.

About the Author

content

Krister Bjornson Axel

Ogdensburg, New York

Paris, France. Madison, Wisconsin. Los Angeles. Ashland, Oregon. Ottawa. I write music, I write about music, and I write code. See also: photography, prose, podcasting. I have 1 gorgeous wife, 2 amazing kids, and many interests.


Recent Awards: 2020 ND (Photo) Honorable Mention, 2020 Accenti Writing Contest Finalist