Looking for your anthem?: An analytical review of Latchkey Kids’ newest single “mo(u)rning anthem”
By Kate Bean
We’ve all suffered from the weight of “main character” syndrome at one time or another.
Believing we live in a simulation or a sitcom to ease the burdens of life is a comfort. When sickness
strikes and bills pile up it is nothing more than a plot point to move the story along. What we often lack
in this coping mechanism is a theme song.
Latchkey Kids’ newest single “mo(u)rning Anthem '' hits the nail right on the head. Starting off with a
rhythm and followed by a beat that elicits that coming-of-age feeling. If you play this song while driving
down a highway it’ll make you feel like you’re living the opening credits of your own movie. Lyricism
starting off with a tongue and cheek reference to the band’s namesake “Out of all the latchkey kids/I
can’t be the only one/That is charmed by my plans”; a reminder that even in a sea of people who reflect
you in every way possible you will still manage to feel singled out, misunderstood. As the song continues
the narrative goes up and down between feelings of burn out, certainty, uncertainty, and acceptance of
that uncertainty. Latchkey Kids’ music sets out to be a voice for the voiceless, bring beauty to life’s
afflictions, and it accomplishes just that.
Latchkey Kids are infamous for their story driven lyricism and emotionally adjutant instrumentals. The
ambitious feeling in the drum beat and pleading guitar rhythm make the music flow through your heart
and strike you dead center in the soul. A song that makes you feel like you’re holding your story in the
palm of your hands – a reminder that you’re in control of your journey and how you conceptualize it.
As the song begins you feel like you’re running with the music – out of breath and out of time. By the
end you find yourself feeling like you’re at the end of your childhood street. This isn’t the end, not even
the middle, but the start of your newest chapter.
“I can’t be the only one that is crushed by my plans/I’ll remind myself that I’m human once again.” A line
that strikes with such urgent relatability. These guys just get it. Constantly worrying about the life you’re
setting yourself up for and if you’re even doing it right. A reminder that nobody in this world was born
with a guidebook on how to be. Is it the workload and responsibility weighing us down or is it the
impossible expectations we force on ourselves? Remind yourself you’re human, remind yourself you
aren’t the only one.
“Out of all the towns we miss/A couple kids really did make it worth it.” As homesickness sets in, as
relatives get older, the more you forget what your childhood dog looks like; What keeps us going and
growing in new places? The only thing that keeps us from drowning in unpacked nostalgia are the
people and connections that drag us forward. College, adulthood, life – is nothing without the people
we surround ourselves with. The people who don’t make us feel singled out in a crowd.
“If I’m a dog how come I can’t sit still when you tell me to/No I can’t sit still and I won’t sit still.” Why do
we keep going. This generation is full of restlessness and ambition. Even if our bodies and minds wrestle
with a blockade of self-doubt, anxiety, and personal circumstance we refuse obedience. Stubbornness is
a tool when it doesn’t feel like anyone – yourself included – believes you can make it. You have to prove
them wrong.
“I woke up this morning looking for an anthem. This year nothing seems to fit.” The definition of an
anthem is a rousing or uplifting song identified with a particular group, body, or cause. It’s all about identity.
We wander life looking for a remedy in art, music, television. A constant hunt to seek ourselves in a
mirror like image so we can see the end and know it’s okay. To find a glimpse in likeable characters and
know what our best traits are. Look at ourselves from the outside in and analyze every detail until we
find the right fit. How do we know how to fit into the world if we can’t find ourselves in art – once we
find it we hold it tight. An anthem is more than a song it’s a declaration of who you are. Once you make
that declaration you’ve essentially forced yourself to stake pride in yourself – and that feeling is
untouchable.
I wonder why mo(u)rning? There is so much to mourn as we struggle to make sense of it all. Perhaps the
mourning is for all the days behind us. Days lost to the gear that holds us back, people we had to let go
of along the way, the person we were yesterday before we allowed determination to free us towards
new beginnings. Isn’t that the point of it all to start over and over multiple times in one life? We can’t be
the best version of ourselves and allow nothing to change. There is pain and beauty in that, like a
metamorphosis.
If you’re looking for your own personal anthem “mo(u)rning Anthem” could certainly be the fit for you.
If something about it doesn’t quite speak to you, open your ears to Latchkey Kids’ debut album The
Week You Ran Away – a story driven album with a narrative for just about everyone. It is rare to feel
truly engaged with an artist just from their music alone, but Latchkey Kids’ music always feels like a
direct conversation between listener and musicians. Without a doubt Latchkey Kids will continue being a
powerful, successful voice for this generation.
