Please is an “autobiographical album that delves into the heart of mental health battles -- from hiding one’s illness all the way to the brink of oblivion,” in the heartbreaking words of Chris Hathcock. The man is The Reticent, writing, performing and singing everything (other than a vocal or narration here and a guitar solo there). The result is a listening experience that should evoke deep empathy for those who suffer from depression and suicidal impulses. Just about every song contains at least one gut-wrenching, darkness-descending line: “Night river/Light the way/Night river/Take me home” from “Night River (Those Who Can’t Rest),” “We don’t want to hear anymore of your woes/don’t you want to be happier?/Just cheer up or keep your mouth shut around us/we do not care, leave us alone,” from “The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand),” and “Numbness escapes into lethargy/vanished the light and will to/breathe/the will to be,” from “The Riptide (Those Without Hope).” This is dark, dark stuff, and listener discretion is advised -- especially given the album’s shocking conclusion.
Musically, The Reticent has been compared to Opeth, Wilderun and Insomnium, with moody arrangements, clean and harsh vocals, and a perpetual sense of foreboding.
I wish Hathcock peace.
Track Listing:
1. Intake
2. The Concealment (Those Who Don’t Want to Wake)
3. The Night River (Those Who Can’t Rest)
4. Diagnosis 1
5. The Bed of Wasps (Those Consumed With Panic)
6. The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand)
7. Diagnosis 2
8. The Riptide (Those Without Hope)
9. The Chance (Those Who Let Go)
10. Discharge
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