A Fragile Tomorrow
Make Me Over
Reviewed by: Fareeha Naim
Make Me Over is the ambitious self-produced and self-engineered fifth studio album for North Carolina natives, A Fragile Tomorrow. And for a fifth album, it certainly does not disappoint. The whole album draws from the artistic experimentations of David Bowie and the infectious energy of The Who, creating 13 tracks full of catchy melodies whose complexity is not unnoticed.
Starting with the title track “Make Me Over (Nobody Holder),” featuring a very ‘70s rock riff, it starts the trend for the rest of the album—musical exploration. Filled with alternative rock, power pop, and multiple layers of guitars and tight harmonies, the planning and revision was evident in every song. “Kissing Games” features a strings section that takes hold from their entrance to the end. The measured “In My Mind” begins with keyboard and keeps adding instruments until the full band comes in after the second chorus. “Hit Parade” strongly reminisces the jumping fun of Cheap Trick. And the final track, “One Way Ticket,” is an intoxicating psychedelic mix of rock and funk, ending their album strong. Those are just a few highlights—the album all together? Mind-blowing.
One thing’s for sure: when it comes to songwriting, these boys are top tier. Structure, layering, and overall composition are all solid—such an important and impressive skill, to create tracks as watertight as these. Honestly, I had never heard of A Fragile Tomorrow before—but now, I have their albums playing on repeat and can’t get their songs out of my head. To put it simply, I was blown away by how incredible this was. And to Brendan, Sean, Dominic, and Shaun—I can’t wait to see what you think of next.
Rating: Iconic
