On Nov. 10, 2023, electropop band AJR released their fifth studio album titled “The Maybe Man.” It follows “OK Orchestra,” which was released on March 26, 2021, making it over three years since their last album.

Now, I will be the first to admit that AJR and their style of music is not for everyone. The brothers use many odd instruments and sound effects that are a turnoff for many people.

In order to truly experience the band, you must look past all of that for a moment. Instead, focus on how we can see what AJR are really about: the lyrics. The lyrics are what make their music so personal, and “The Maybe Man” may be the most personal so far. This is also their first album where the majority of songs have the explicit rating.

Many of the songs in the album have that classic AJR feel, including “Maybe Man,” “Inertia,” “I Won’t” and the conclusion of the album “2085.” Many of the same loud beat drops, background acapella and funky sounding instruments are present.

However, even with those sounds, the lyrics of these songs hold a much deeper meaning.

In “Maybe Man,” who is a recurring character so to speak, struggles with who and what they are.

“Wish I was a stone, so I couldn’t feel… I wish I had eyes in the back of my head, then I could see the places I’ve been.”

After each wish, they then list why those things would be back. It shows a constant cycle of feeling inadequate and confused. The song concludes with a loud crash and the words “here I go again,” continuing the spiral.

The next song, “Touchy Feely Fool,” explores a real life family scandal that the brothers went through. The song is about wishing you could stop caring about someone who wronged you.

“Someday, won’t this be funny? Well, I want it funny now… I would give anything to not [care], but I do.”

The song teaches us that we can be hurt and still love someone, that we can know someone is bad, but be unable to escape our feelings. And that’s okay.

Later in the album comes “Inertia,” a song that much like “World’s Smallest Violin” from their previous album, became a hit on TikTok with a viral trend. As someone who listens to the radio a lot, it has certainly made its way on-air plenty as well.

Inertia, in physics, is an object’s resistance to change while in motion. In other words, objects in motion tend to stay in motion. That definition is exactly how it feels to listen to this song.

The background sound, with that classic AJR feel, does just enough to avoid being too much. It is a perfect complementary piece to the lyrics. The chorus of “Inertia” takes the definition of inertia and spins it to a human being.

“I’m an object in motion, I’ve lost all emotion, my two legs are broken but look at me dance. An object in motion, don’t ask where I’m going ‘cause where I am going is right where I am.”

We as humans are resistant to change. We fight and fight in order to grow, yet we still stick with familiarity and in turn, harm ourselves in the process. We stunt our growth and we stay stagnant. Moving on from relationships, from jobs, from school–anything can start to feel impossible.

Yet, there’s still hope. In those same chorus lyrics that sound like we are stuck, they also show us that we can still dance through the pain. Ultimately, the album is a beautifully crafted journey through life. That’s not to say it’s perfect though.

Songs like “Steve’s Going to London,” which is a song literally about nothing, drag the album down. Even “2085,” which has a beautiful conclusion, is unbelievably drawn out. It could be half the time and be just as good.

With that, I leave you with this. Give it a shot. There is so much more for you to discover.

The worst that can happen is you stay in motion.