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Recorded in April 2023 at Tonal Park Studios
Produced by Joe Reinhart
Engineered by Joe Reinhart & Don Godwin
Additional tracking by Evan Barnard at Headroom Studios & Owen Wuerker at Lurch Studios
Mixed by Joe Reinhart
Mastered by Ryan Schwabe
Emma Cleveland - bass, vocals
David Combs - guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
Katie Park - guitar, keyboard, vocals
Daoud Tyler Ameen - drums, tambourine, vocals
Don Godwin - trumpet
Josh Hoffman - euphonium
“Let the Rats Inherit the Earth" is a song about placelessness. Not in the geographic sense — more like displacement from purpose, from knowing your role in the reality you inhabit. You could think of it as the natural effect of living in our current historic moment, where consensus about what is and isn’t real feels harder and harder to find, where increasingly crushing news cycles seem to fill every inch of a techno-dystopian landscape headed for increasingly inevitable ecological disaster. Or maybe it’s just the malaise that comes at a certain time in everyone’s life: barreling through rote routines, pushing against a wave of economic stressors that never seems to recede. Maybe time itself is unraveling around us. Whatever the source, it’s the feeling of hope and purpose fading into a blur of sameness, of justice and truth falling out of reach, of opening your eyes each morning and diving headlong into the void. And not like a chill meditative void, just dull darkness. Enjoy!
lyrics
Here we are, nowhere, and we’re bored, ‘cause we don’t care anymore
Throw the pretense overboard, cut your ties with the old guard
And I swear, it’s true, we don’t know what to do
Let the hush wash over you, till you’re drowning in it
(Wherever, decentered, untethered, ‘cause we don’t care anymore
Too bent out to bother, we’re treading cold water
We end up suspended, we meant it, we don’t know what to do
We process undoneness, you witness no-oneness)
Undone by the high tide of evolution
Time unravels and devolves into repetition
And we’re all too scared to hope, ‘cause we’ve got nothing to show
It’s all purgatorial, revel in the great unknown
And that’s fair, like sure, ‘cause when your dream is deferred
And your pleas all go unheard, you sputter and you spin out
(Deflated, unmade and frustrated, ‘cause we’ve got nothing to show
We process undoneness, you witness no-oneness
We end up suspended, we meant it, ‘cause when your dream is deferred
You drift on like fodder, still treading cold water)
And stare up at the sky till your eyes glaze over
Your faith goes up in a blaze while the future burns
Goddamn, let the rats inherit the earth
Once you’re bottomed out, it’s on to something worse
Who’s keeping score anymore?
We are, we are, we are
You can shout about it till your vision blurs
Or till you lose the feeling
God damn, let the rats inherit the earth
Once you’re bottomed out, it’s on to something worse
Who’s keeping score anymore?
We are, we are, we are
And out there when the flies and the buzzards swarm
Would you say a prayer? Would you know what for?
Who’s even sure anymore?
We are, we are, we are
You can shout about it till your vision blurs
Or till you lose the feeling
Undone by the high tide of evolution
Unravel and devolve into repetition
(Too bent out to bother, we’re treading cold water
We process undoneness, you witness no-oneness
We drift on like fodder, still treading cold water
We end up suspended, we meant it, we’re treading)
supported by 33 fans who also own “Let The Rats Inherit The Earth”
heard Everything is Better on the radio (WZBC 90.3 fm) after a big breakup. found the song on here and played it on repeat. cried my eyes out. it was cathartic and perfect. Dan Barella
supported by 32 fans who also own “Let The Rats Inherit The Earth”
One of the most heart-wrecking, redemptive, perfect albums I've ever heard. Every time I play it I feel like I've been dismantled and rebuilt. And I do it again and again. Patrick
supported by 32 fans who also own “Let The Rats Inherit The Earth”
You guys are the best: we've been enjoying your music and shows since 2011 and Ugly. Each album has been a joy to dive into and unpack. Clover is no different (it was a surprise for me - I was at work when I got the notification, and it made my day). I loved hearing more of the sound from Desire Pathway. It was great to see those songs during that free show at Main St Music in Manayunk. Sooo many amazing shows over the years. I hope you can enjoy a well-deserved rest! billypar
Longrunning Bay Area group Lunchbox draw on the hard-edged and stylish sound of 70s mod for their latest full-length. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 23, 2024
Terrific jangle pop with an edge, somewhere between Television Personalities and R.E.M. with a bit of Kinks in there, too. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 2, 2023