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- April 16, 2022
Mondo Cozmo’s This Is For The Barbarians Leads the Listener Through A Roller Coaster of Emotions
Want an album conveying all the emotions from grief and reflection, to happiness and hope? Then listen to Mondo Cozmo’s album, This Is For The Barbarians.
This Is For The Barbarians reflects on Mondo Cozmo’s (Josh Ostrander’s) experience during the pandemic. After dealing with a loss in the family, Ostrander searched for hope and a reason to continue celebrating life amid these difficult times.
According to Ostrander:
“It’s bright and funny, the human experience in a year of isolation. It’s a slice of my liver and a piece of my heart. This is for the people going through darkness like I’ve been going through. Is anybody else out there hurting, or mad, or scared out of their mind? We’re in this together.”
The album’s first track is “Electrify My Love.” It’s a fun mix of electronic and rock elements that puts the listener in a good mood and is a strong start to the album.
Watch the music video for “Electrify My Love” here:
“Meant for Livin’” is the second track on This Is For The Barbarians, with a mix of a funk and folky sound that continues the upbeat tempo from “Electrify My Love.”
Watch the music video for “Meant for Livin’” here:
“Feel Good,” is another fun song, with a funk sound. The saxophone and heavy beat is sure to get anyone dancing in the grocery store right alongside Ostrander.
Watch the music video for “Feel Good” here:
The next track, “I Wanna Live Like Everybody,” transitions from the high energy part of the album to a more reflective and raw reflection of Mondo Cozmo’s inner turmoil during the pandemic. This is emphasized with the mix of the high-pitched back-up vocals juxtaposing Ostrander’s lower range.
The following track, “WW3,” has a sound reminiscent of The Killers, specifically during the Sam’s Town era. “WW3” reflects on how a child’s view of life is completely different from how it turned out. The end of “WW3” immediately transitions to “Eyes Of Love,” a much slower paced song compared to the rest of the album. This marks the change to the more reflective part of This Is For The Barbarians, as Mondo Cozmo sings, “But the lonely days are over/ And the lightning has begun/ Come with me through these rag-a-bond blues/ And madness once again.”
“Hang On,” the next track on the album, starts off in the same manner as “Meant for Livin’,” where Mondo Cozmo sings in a more spoken word way, but at a much slower pace.
Stand out lyrics: “You dream of glory/I dream of love.”
Because “Marianne” is not as lyrically based as the other songs on the album, this particular set of lyrics really stands out, “If you tell me that you love me/ When the lights are on/Then I’ll cancel your prescription/ And tie one on.”
“Good Mornin’ America” has a folky sound reminiscent of Bob Dylan at the beginning, before returning to Mondo Cozmo’s signature sound.
Stand out lyrics: “They promised you a reason/ They promised you the world/ But it’s hard to get a word in/ When a knee’s upon your throat.”
“Full Moon Broken World” is the shortest song on the album, relying heavily on the orchestral instrumental. The only lyrics are, “The last time/ I saw you/ Was a full moon/ In a broken world.” The only other words spoken in the song is a voicemail at the end of the song. The final track on This is For The Barbarians, “Lord,” is a plea to be heard and to find peace and love in the chaos of the world right now.
Listen to the entire This Is For The Barbarians album here:
Overall, This Is For The Barbarians showcases a flood of emotions including grief, pain, hope and happiness. Starting with more upbeat and feel good songs, before transitioning to a need to release the grief and turmoil, it finally ends on a more reflective note. This Is For The Barbarians is full of a variety of songs fitting different moods, no matter if it’s happiness, grief, or pensiveness.
Mondo Cozmo is also currently on tour, supporting the Airborne Toxic Event, until April 30th. Visit Mondo Cozmo’s website for more information about tour dates and tickets.
For updates on Mondo Cozmo’s music, check out Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Spotify or YouTube.
