AJR, My Play | Track Review 🎵

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AJR fall short on “My Play,” taking the hipster-millennial aesthetic too far on the third single from their 2021 album, OK ORCHESTRA.

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”“I” size=”large” border_color_class=”otw-no-border-color” shadow=”shadow” square=”square”] just really, really, really, really wanna show you my play / And I don’t wanna do it for Dad at Dad’s new place.” Okay, 🎙 AJR – whatever you say! For years, the indie-pop brother trio have been keeping the millennial spirit ‘alive…,’ though, depending on who you ask, the ‘and well’ part is debatable. 🎵 “My Play,” The third single from the collective’s 2021 album, 💿 OK ORCHESTRA, certainly falls in line with what we’re accustomed to hearing from the Met bros at this point.  [/otw_shortcode_dropcap]

So, let’s go on and address the whole millennial aspect of the songwriting, shall we? As usual, the brothers seem to reflect back on life – simpler times.  We’ve been there, done that, of course.   Much like 🎵 “Don’t Throw Out My Legos” on 💿 Neotheater, the Mets reminisce on the past. Exhibit A – the first two lines of the first verse: “I put on a play in my old house / in my cape, jumpin’ on the old couch…” Later, on the third verse, there’s reminiscence regarding dates, before the fourth verse confirms what seems to be AJR’s big point – “Guess everything [life] is complicated [now].”

Moving beyond the songwriting, which is, um, ‘questionable,’ AJR keep the production in house – courtesy of 🎛 Ryan Met. The resulting sound is big, lush (strings 🎻 are sweet), and did I mention, B-I-G?  On the chorus, it’s expectedly gargantuan, with the drums being particularly heavy handed.  Revisiting the songwriting, the aforementioned chorus, the centerpiece, continues a little something like this:

“I worked really, really, really, really hard, lemme show you my play
And I don't wanna do it twice, ‘cause it's not the same.”

Final Thoughts 💭 

So, thoughts on “My Play?” Well, I’ve often defended AJR as not being as bad as many critics (and haters) have characterized them.  I was definitely a fan of “100 Bad Days,” another millennial joint that the same critics panned with a passion. That said, this round, I think the songwriting is both cringy and flimsy on “My Play.” The whole hipster-millennial aesthetic (speaking as a millennial) just irks me here in particular.  Some will like it, mind you, but for me, it’s too corny.   

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🎙 AJR • 🎵 OK ORCHESTRA • 🏷 AJR Productions / S-Curve • 🗓 3.26.21

[📷: AJR Productions / S-Curve]