Go On formed from the ups and downs of a relationship. Paper Beat Scissors‘ Tim Crabtree isn’t interested in hiding out in the shadows of these emotions, though; rather, as the album’s purposeful title suggests, he chooses to charge ahead.
Lyrically, songs like “Unfazed” and “Wouldn’t” and instrumental arrangements that sound like a revelation with each crescendo — “Onwards” and “Lawless” are the strongest examples of this — show a determined resolution to not relish in what went wrong. It’s on “Lawless” that Crabtree sings one of the album’s most important lines: “We’ll learn in time.” Go On is not about regrets, but learning from the past to make the future better.
Crabtree’s sophomore album builds on the ideas found in his self-titled 2012 debut.
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Musically, there’s similarly dramatic instrumentation at work, but Go On‘s sound is much fuller, exploring sonic territory only teased at before: the skittery electronics of “When You Still” is unlike anything heard from Crabtree, while standout “Enough” layers a bright guitar and an electronic drum beat with his distinctly hoarse vocals, which makes the album sound more unfiltered, from the heart.
Go On is a demonstration of Crabtree’s unique ability to use classical and electronic elements to blur the lines of folk music and leave you breathless.