Medium Build’s EP Marietta opens on doubt. He desperately seeks reassurance as he tries to make sense of a relationship. It seems a lot is uncertain for Medium Build’s Nick Carpenter as he pleas for the return of someone he needs in ‘Triple Marathon.’ But as he treads through the big questions life has forced him to answer, he celebrates what got him to this point: his childhood in the small town of Marietta, Georgia.
Marietta comes off his debut album Country, in which he pays tribute to the town that has become his home. But before he found the man he was meant to be in Alaska, he was a teenager trying to figure himself out, just like the rest of us, in Marietta. Now as an adult, he’s able to look back on his childhood with fresh eyes.
‘Triple Marathon’
Through his raw songwriting, he reflects on his relationship with his parents, his religion, and the angst that comes along with growing up. Doubt is, without question, a central theme of adolescence. With ‘Triple Marathon,’ we are thrown back into youth along with Nick. He is riddled with questions, focusing on one that looms over every other one: “Does it make sense” to need someone that much? And just like that, we’re teenagers again. We’re constantly questioning. Who are we? Who are we meant to be? And does anything really make sense?
‘John and Lydia’
So now we’re all in the right mindset to go back to our adolescence. That means confronting the one relationship we can’t avoid: our parents. While complicated for so many, Nick thanks his parents for “surviving [his] childhood” with ‘John and Lydia.’ We’re sure some of our readers have fantasized about asking their parents some of these questions. Maybe you’ve even asked them. But we’re willing to bet you haven’t released them for anyone to listen to. He wonders aloud if he’s grown into someone that his parents like, and then asks the question publicly. It is a heavy musing, but it is not the first time Medium Build has been unafraid to release his unfiltered thoughts. While telling this story through a lively, thrilling melody, we almost feel like we’re intruding on a private moment.
‘Yoke’ With Julien Baker
And if you felt you were intruding with ‘John and Lydia,’ allow us to introduce you to ‘Yoke.’ Together with Julien Baker, he sings about the tough realities of growing up queer in the Southern church. Nick pulls himself back and forth, trying to arrive at a balance between coming to terms with the religion of his youth and what he lost because of it. With such deep care given to this subject, it’s clearly one that has haunted both Nick and Julien for years. The simple guitar riff that carries us throughout the whole song forces our focus on the lyrics. Now we all have to wonder: Where does religion fit into your life when it was so prevalent in your childhood, but has also destroyed lifelong relationships? How do you let go of religion? Must you let go of religion?
‘Dad’s 4Runner’
Youth also means exploring relationships. Everything feels elevated in youth, and a crush may as well be the end of the world. And ‘Dad’s 4Runner’ certainly captures that. In contrast to the longing displayed in ‘Triple Marathon,’ this song portrays a quieter craving. One that doesn’t have to be entirely rational. He pairs the energetic melody with the desperate longing for someone he will likely never have.
‘Faded Blue’
But hopefully, your youth wasn’t all doubt and angst. Hopefully, there was an exhilarating joy as well. After reckoning with the fears of his youth, Nick now remembers the love he felt. The imagery in ‘Faded Blue’ takes us back to the beauties of Marietta, Georgia. True, most of us have probably never been there. But through this song, we have. Marietta’s cover shoot features prominent locations from Nick’s youth, including the street he grew up on and the Sears where his father worked, now abandoned. And ‘Faded Blue’ takes us to the clear blue skies and the singing birds. Most importantly, it takes us to the unmatched euphoria of loving as a teenager. Whether this song is a love letter for the town of Marietta, or for someone he knew there, it is certainly a love letter to his youth.
If you have ever experienced growing up, or if you’re growing up right now, you’ll find something to love in Medium Build’s Marietta. So give it a listen, and then come back to our socials to let us know what you thought! We’ll be waiting anxiously at @thehoneypop on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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