Thinking about…The High Tide Club by The Poles
Coming up on two years of The High Tide Club album, I thought it would be fitting to write my thoughts on my favourite album by my favourite band! Hearing this album for the first time was an unforgettable experience – it completely subverted what I expected of The Poles’ sound. It was unlike anything I’d heard before and yet I loved it wholeheartedly! It was impossible to pick any favourites – as I played the album through, I loved each new track I heard more than the last. There are truly no skips!
I would say this album is full of youthful camaraderie, comfort and love. Only a band with Daniel Kim as its songwriter would feature an album completely about comforting the people dear to you through the ups and downs of life. I think when we seek out comfort during hard times, we might do so in two different ways. The first involves forgetting our worries and letting loose to release our frustrations – a theme featured in the first four tracks of the album. However, sometimes we need to be treated more gently, needing someone to recognise our struggles and reassure us that they will be by our side through our worst times – a theme featured in the rest of the album. The last track, ‘Don’t Be Afraid,’ then brings both these themes together to describe gaining strength from your loved ones, and learning to carry on because of their comfort and support in your worst moments. That’s what I think is meant by the title, ‘The High Tide Club’ – while pain can overflow like a high tide, it’s just that: a tide that will recede, but one that we’re all united in facing.
1. space
‘space’ is probably my favourite The Poles song ever! Its gentle, comforting sound was what drew me to it initially, but it’s actually a song filled with yearning and is almost a pleading request to the listener.
This song poetically describes being in denial of a loss, seen in its gentle sounds and romantic descriptions – “now I can’t draw any dreams anymore/It’s overflowing with no intention to leave anything behind.” They describe “drawing dreams” and “overflowing”, creating a beautiful and artistic picture that contrasts the pain of these lost hopes and dreams. The chorus further emphasises this by creating a contrast with the title. When we think of ‘space,’ we think of the vast expanse of the universe – instead, the chorus features, “we lie in this small room/drawing our countless dreams till it’s messy.” Instead of feeling their dreams expand and grow like the universe, the singer is confined to a room too small to hold the beauty of these infinite, space-like dreams. Finally, the bridge continues to show this denial: “so could you smile/so that we won’t fall apart? /now, for real/I’ll wake up.” The singer seems to believe they are asleep and dreaming that they have lost everything – and if their companion smiles, it will prove that everything will be okay when they wake up. The Korean lyrics are phrased in a way that shows the narrator almost pleading with the listener, asking them to smile as a favour – conveyed in Daniel’s vocals that truly melt the heart!
The production and sound of this song are really fitting for the title, ‘space,’ and the lines in the chorus: “we’re lying in this small room.” The vocals, with little embellishment, seem to resound and echo, giving the feeling of being alone in an empty space. I also love how the verses are accompanied only by a melody on the bass and no other instruments, adding to this solitary vibe. Similarly, the sound of the guitar is very raw and one can hear the sliding of the changing notes as if it was just recorded in this room where the singer is confined. I want to add that the acoustic version of this song, presented as the last track of this album, adds to a similar vibe. It sounds even more raw and much like a lullaby with only Daniel’s voice and an acoustic guitar, both heard clearly with no other embellishment. This song, with both versions, feels as though it’s made just for you – creating an even more comforting atmosphere!
2. Rollover
It took me a while to think of what I wanted to say about this song. ‘Rollover’ is about breaking free – and it does that in a lot of ways. Firstly, it’s the only song on this album written completely in English. It breaks away from the convention of the others being in Korean, conveying its message in a different tongue. Secondly, its lyrics break grammatical conventions – at times, they are difficult to interpret because of their phrasing, but this further adds to the way they convey uniqueness, rebellion and defying conventions. Lastly, the song comes as a shock after the gentle tone of ‘space’, beginning with a bouncy melody on the bass. I’m obsessed with the addictive bass melody at the start! To me, it feels rather unconventional to start a song on the bass, which adds more to its purpose on the album. By being the first song to change the course set by the first track of the album, it allows this upbeat mood and similar messages to continue for the next few songs on the album. So, it’s a bit of a pioneer – “painting, breaking” and guiding the way for the rest of the album.
The song starts with the realisation that the narrator has been confined and needs to break free – “rolling over this neighbourhood/oh blimey, what a mess/but don’t you think it’s kinda small?” It almost seems to speak to the previous song, ‘space’ – trying to break out of the “small room” that confines their dreams to live the life they truly desire. They feel a kind of thrill of letting go of this comfort and familiarity – “Look everybody hates us/Honestly that makes me feel alive.” They find that standing apart and breaking out of what confines you, even if it’s not what others expect of you, is what truly brings you to life and makes you happy.
The chorus further continues this theme – “Painting, breaking/All the days and the bads/And the nights and arrested by sunshine/But y’all know bout the truth/That it doesn’t really matter.” “Painting, breaking” describes destroying conventions and drawing your own dreams, your own idea of your life and your rules. The only thing stopping you is time – “arrested by sunshine,” but truly, time is also an illusion, it doesn’t really matter as long as you make the best of what you have to live in a fulfilling way! “We were born with all sins and/Don’t you dare try to cover that/How’s that supposed to satisfy? /We’ll have our last time just like that/ How’s that supposed to satisfy?” – this suggests that we should not hide our flaws and what truly makes us unique. Covering them up would mean you are not truly being you, and a life that ends without being true to yourself would never be satisfying – thus, breaking free of what confines us to live as our most authentic selves is what life is truly about!
3. Find Me!
I absolutely love, love, love this song. It is so uplifting and enjoyable to listen to – the addictive guitar riff at the beginning feels like it’s infused with serotonin! Even in their most upbeat songs, like this one, The Poles manage to provide so much comfort to the listener – this song feels like spending good times with a loved one to get your mind off the things that bother you.
I really enjoy the gentle understanding with which the listener’s pain is recognised in the first verse – “When living gets tiring/And the world seems like it’s ending/When you can only imagine breathing/Because that would be better.” It comfortingly speaks to the exhaustion that stems from stress, pain or sadness and feels like a hug from a good friend. The chorus conveys an even sweeter sentiment – “So find me in this world/I don’t need much/Just don’t move away from my dream/We’ll be together forever from now.” The only thing the singer wants is to be with their loved ones forever, even (and especially) during hard times: “When living gets hard/Wherever I may be/I don’t need any words/If it’s just you and me, it’s like we have everything.” The bridge is probably my favourite part of this song – “Let’s get drunk and run around/Even if we are bruised blue/We don’t care/Let’s never stop.” I love the way Daniel sings this part, and how the music gets a bit softer around it, making it sound almost like an invitation, and he feels almost like your own friend. This song really just makes me very happy – I love the feeling of genuine companionship that is contained in it and in the entire album!
4. Goin’ High
The theme of living life fully and truly to yourself continues in ‘Goin’ High’ – it’s a fun number that instantly fills me with happiness and confidence! It indulges the worries of your youth passing by you and assures the listener that just going with the flow and living the way you want is in fact the best way to pass your days.
“Is my young heart always getting a bit wrinkled?” asks the singer, as they feel themselves ageing, worrying that they have not fully experienced life. The next line is written so beautifully and made me smile so much when I translated it: “What’s the point of covering your eyes while cleaning the mirror every day?” It’s such a poetic way of suggesting that we sometimes strive so hard for perfection, for using our time exactly the right way and meeting expectations of what we should do with our lives, that we lose sight of the full reflection of ourselves in the mirror – how far we have come and how wonderful our entire being and persona is from having lived and loved all this while. And that’s why, even though it may be “too late” to strive for lofty goals (“go far away”), “I guess we should just enjoy all of today.” They then say, if we just enjoy each moment as it comes, “we’ll be fine every day from now.”
“Why can’t you live like yourself? /Just let it ride, ride, ride/ Let’s ride all the way over/ We’re going to the end of the world” – the song thus suggests that living true to yourself and simply taking each moment as it comes is the way to true happiness. Simply living each moment to its fullest is the way to “goin’ high,” to being truly happy and achieving everything you want.
This song’s bright guitar tone and lively sound make me instantly want to jump and dance along! The bouncy rhythms paired with the lyrics “just let it ride” suggest that life itself is a bouncy, bumpy, but fun ride – one that we should enjoy the ups and downs of as they come!
5. High Tide
High Tide is a song with a really interesting sound – while it is loud, strong and somewhat upbeat, it conveys a lot of pain. This song feels a bit like a transition from the upbeat mood of the past few tracks to the softer, more comforting tracks that follow in the rest of the album – changing from letting loose to help someone forget their worries to trying to support someone through their hard times. I relate to this song a lot. All too often, people I love have pulled away from me when they were in pain. So, I tried to show the pain and loneliness I felt from seeing them drift away ‘less,’ in hopes that they would give me ‘more,’ and thus stay by my side even when things are hard for us. It’s about hoping that if you hold back the tide of your pain and loneliness, you can stop your relationship with a loved one from drifting away like the tide.
This is seen especially in the first verse – the lyrics “I know you better than my own self […]/If I turn red, pretending not to be hurt by your words/Will you see the tears that are finally about to burst?” describe trying to hold yourself together to support someone else to the point of ignoring your own pain. This creates a deeper sense of hurt – the singer hopes that their companion notices their suffering despite what they are going through. The singer hopes they notice that they are losing each other in this high tide of hardship, and try to save the relationship – and hopefully themselves in the process.
The chorus, where the melody jumps to a higher pitch and shifts the tone of the song, further shows this struggle of holding back your own pain to be there for someone else and save your connection with them. “Rise up, I am leaning on that overflowing water/so that I can keep my hopes spreading high” – the singer leans on the tide of their own pain, so they can continue hoping for their relationship to flourish despite the rough seas that affect their companion. While the singer seems to recognise that holding back their pain will only ensure it overflows more, they believe it’s the only way to save the relationship: “Rise up/I am leaning on that overflowing water/Until there is no crack in between my hopes spreading high.” They want to give themselves to supporting their loved ones, without showing their own pain – “no crack.” “When the wave pushes me away/That’s when I’ll leave you” – no matter how much hardship tries to push their companion away from them, they are determined to stand firmly by their side.
Alternatively, the singer could be suggesting that they want to provide their entire support to their companion. They are holding back the “overflowing water” of their loved one’s pain all by themselves. They want hope for better times to grow in their companion’s heart. They want to become the sole reason their companion holds on to the relationship and saves it. The rousing sound of the guitar on the chorus resembles waves crashing as the high tide rushes in, adding to the desperation of wanting to hold tight to someone who is drifting away. The interlude before the second chorus, which ends with the drums and the guitar building up to the lyrics, “Rise up, I am leaning on that overflowing water,” particularly mirrors the feeling of a rising tide that one is trying to hold back.
Thus, this song with its forceful sound compares the ups and downs of life and relationships to a high tide – one that rises and feels like it towers over everything, about to sweep everything away, but also one that is temporary and will settle soon, returning to a sea of gentle waves, just as pain can rise quickly and overtake us, but always passes. In the same way, our own struggles can interfere with our relationships, but it’s up to us to support each other through them until this high tide recedes so that the connections we love do not flow away with the tides.
6. Good Morning Sunshine
‘Good Morning Sunshine’ is a simple and sweet song about wanting to be by someone’s side and hold on to them despite times of hardship. The song is based on the hope that the relationship withstands the ups and downs of life – “When the season that the flowers bloom and wither comes/ will we be together?” The singer expresses how they want to be by this person’s side even through their pain – “The bitter cold scent of winter doesn’t leave/Just like this, next to you/Don’t fall asleep yet/So I can look over you a little bit more.” They want to protect this person and take care of them even in the cold, winter phase of their life where it can be difficult for their love to bloom. The song also briefly features the same themes from ‘High Tide’ of wanting to hide your pain to support your loved ones – “Talk to me who holds their breath and only keeps losing/In the wind that is still bitterly cold, can I fold a small heart and send it to you?” The singer requests their companion to accept their love and companionship even in troubled times, to hold on to this relationship even while they are struggling. They “hold their breath,” not sharing their own suffering, as they have possibly “kept losing” others close to them when they did – so they hope that holding back and simply being there will keep this person in their life.
The choruses, meanwhile, seem to hope for sweet experiences together when the tough times pass – “Me and you holding hands/ Me and you living on/ Like that”, “Me and you dancing/ Me and you living on.” The song ends with, “Getting through the day with you/ If our hearts grow/ We will feel the morning/ And we will love one another/ Like that.” These gentle words suggest that the singer wants their love to only strengthen when things are hard for them. If they endure these difficult, ‘cold’ times, their hearts and love will grow stronger for them to feel “the season that the flowers bloom” and finally experience a warm morning where they can truly say, “good morning sunshine.”
This song features a lot of different sounds that express all its emotions in different ways. It has a bright and gentle tone that resembles a bitterly cold morning – a recognition of the listener’s pain and struggles. The guitar at the opening of the song and during the chorus is loud and sounds almost desperate, echoing the singer’s desperation for this relationship to survive the test of their struggles. Contrastingly, though, Daniel’s tone while singing this is very gentle and soft – he seems to almost be pleading with this person, trying to request them to stay although he recognises that they are struggling. He uses a softer, higher-pitched head voice on the chorus to request the listener to see how beautiful things could be if they could simply love each other at their worst and let their love grow through even the most trying of times.
7. Strawberry Moon
Initially, I was rather stumped by the lyrics of this song even in English and not quite sure how to interpret it. When I think about ‘Strawberry Moon’ in combination with the other songs on this album, though, I feel as though the singer personifies themselves as the moon to express a deep sense of loneliness. Possibly, this is a loneliness that stems from feeling like they are losing loved ones who cope with their struggles by disconnecting from the people around them. Being so intent on preserving your relationships and supporting your loved ones is bound to create pain and loneliness. Detaching from the comforting tone of the past few songs that are directed at the singer’s loved ones, ‘Strawberry Moon’ turns inwards and focuses on the singer’s own sense of loneliness from trying to save these relationships they treasure so much.
The singer is consumed by loneliness, to the point that they feel they are losing themselves in it – “Melted down in the night/I am nowhere to be found,” “One day goes by again/I am nowhere to be found.” They feel themselves disappearing into their solitude – much as the moon looks blurry and faded on a cloudy night. They then sing, “my ugly heart covered my whole body,” further suggesting that they are consumed by this feeling – they cannot see themselves beyond the loneliness and frustration that they feel at distancing from the people they care about most. “A heart without a single person to it/It fades like thin air”: in their desire to support the ones they love, they’ve become like a lonely moon in the sky – watching over others constantly, but with no light of their own or people around them, so they slowly disappear into the night. They ask, “why am I still the same?” – they feel they are suspended in time, experiencing the same feelings again and again.
The choruses show them begging for recognition, love and escape from these feelings – “Oh, let all the light shine on me/Oh my, I’m cramped and want to explode” “Oh, let all the rain fall on me/Oh, and even with this, my heart has dried up.” They wish for their feelings to be seen (with light shining on them) and washed away (with the rain). They feel confined and cramped by loneliness and are losing themselves as they dry up being consumed by it.
Daniel sings this song with so much yearning in his voice that you can’t help but feel these emotions deep in your heart. A small touch that I noticed – the line “why am I still the same” is sung softly at the end of the first chorus, with a sort of resignation about being stuck in this situation. However, at the end of the second chorus, the last syllable is sung louder and with more power (the note seems to change to a minor tone too), conveying desperation rather than resignation. While in the first chorus, the singer simply feels “cramped,” the second one shows them descending further into this loneliness, losing themselves more – their heart has “dried up,” and they are even more desperate to be seen and saved. The loud and powerful outro of the song with a distorted guitar tone further adds to this sentiment. To conclude, the title could suggest the impermanence of a setting moon, that turns pink or red as it disappears into the morning sky – a “strawberry moon.” It’s also telling that as the moon disappears into its loneliness when it sets, the world wakes up to a bright, new morning – the singer is lost in their loneliness while the world seems to experience the sunshine of their support and dedication to saving others.
8. Sun Shower
‘Sun Shower’ could show the beginning of a confusing moment after the setting of the strawberry moon – a morning with both sunshine and rain. I feel this song mimics the progression of a rain shower in the sunshine. It opens with a bright, but soft and gentle sound like the slow drizzle of a shower beginning in the sun. Similarly, the first verse opens softly and slowly as the singer notices the rain intensifying – “It’s raining/Overflowing the longer I wait/You’re still endless/I want to be flooded by it like this.” Indeed, it seems almost as though the singer gets lost in watching the rain. To try and translate these lyrics myself, I looked up the word used here (잠기다) – which can mean “I want to be flooded by it like this,” or “I want to be locked into it like this.” This could show it’s a moment that the singer is overcome (“flooded”) by, but also one that they want to capture (“locked in”) and experience forever. As the second verse progresses, the guitar intensifies and grows louder – similarly mirroring the progression of the verse, which ends with “Let it flood over me like that/let it flood over me like that/like that, like that” as though the rain has intensified to the point of flooding. The outro after the second chorus imitates the intensifying force of this rain with the distortion in the guitar and the crash of the drum cymbals. As the song ends, the sound softens to gentle picking of the guitar strings – showing that the rain subsides to a drizzle before stopping. Thus, the song covers the rise and fall of this sunny storm.
‘Sun Shower’ describes a strangely bittersweet moment that’s filled with a mix of happiness and nostalgia or sadness. It’s a moment that you don’t want to stop feeling, a moment that suddenly overcomes you in a way you don’t expect – much like a sun shower, which is strange and out of place with two contrasting types of weather. The song also thus features a desire to hold on to both the sun and the rain – desiring to be flooded by the rain, but also, hoping that “the sky shines blue/And leaves everything more blue.” In context of the album, it’s like a transition from the deep loneliness of the previous track into a moment of realising the bittersweet nature of love and relationships – wanting to accept their ups and downs with all your heart. It shows wanting to be consumed completely by the mixed feelings brought on by this sudden moment, and feel it completely without abandon!
9. Don’t Be Afraid
This song is such a comforting, heart-warming conclusion to this album! It creates a sense of companionship with the singer, as do so many of The Poles’ songs! The singer seems to gain strength amongst monotony and struggle from their loved ones – “I’m dizzy/from the things that call out the same words every day […] when I try to close my eyes/since you are reflected/I go out onto the streets again.” They consider that if they simply think of the people they love, they’ll be able to forget their pain and recall what’s beautiful in their life – “If my dizzy self/ Becomes a bit blurred/ Would I be able to see you?” The simple words of the chorus provide so much comfort just from Daniel’s powerful and confident tone when he sings them and instantly bring a smile to the face! I particularly like the end of the song where the music fades out and Daniel sings, “Find a brighter day (Don’t be afraid).” For most of the songs on this album, the harmonies are not easily heard over the instruments, but here, they are extremely clear and further add to the sense of togetherness that this song embodies. ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ also seems to fade out the entire album and feels like a comforting goodbye. Like so many The Poles songs, this one too feels like a hug directly from them!
This is truly one of my favourite albums ever – I have never enjoyed a collection of songs as much as this one! Revisiting it to write this review helped me discover deeper personal connections with these songs and the beauty of their true meaning. I am forever grateful to The Poles for showing me a completely different side of music with this album – something I had never listened to before but am sure I cannot ever go without now that I’ve heard it. I really love how each of their albums has a completely different theme, going with a completely different sound. They have a versatile, ever-changing sound that never fails to impress me! I see that they’re looking to release some new music this year – I couldn’t be more excited to see what that brings!
References (if it’s not linked, I translated it myself):
Adapted from Don’t Be Afraid
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