The need to ask, ‘Are we good?,’ is not a place anybody wants to get to in a relationship. If a relationship is in fact good, there’s no need to ask that question, right? And yet, that’s exactly what’s on Mr MooQ’s mind here.
The track begins with acoustic piano, before going into an electronic groove. On it, the protagonist finds himself going back in time, just to see how the couple got to where they are now. But the relationship has hit a rough patch. He doesn’t want to give up, however, “Don’t want to leave/There’s nowhere to go,” he reminds us.
The song is hopeful, though, when he sings, “Maybe we can fix what we broke.” And when he says, “I love you too much,” you can be sure he means it.
Sonically, the track vacillates between electronic sounds, and more acoustic elements. When upbeat, it sounds like singer/songwriter dance music. When it’s more acoustic, though, it comes off more akin to traditional singer/songwriter fare.
This track is taken from Mr MooQ’s upcoming EP, Complicated, which follows a full-length, Introducing Mr. MooQ on Fortune Frog, and another studio effort, Dreaming in Color. Past efforts have found Mr MooQ singing with a kind of lounge-y, affected tone. This song, though, features a much more sincere sounding vocal. This is a good thing. It’s especially essential for such a serious song. He’s not messing around with this one. He’s not just merely attempting to create sounds. No, in this instance, he truly sounds to be singing from his heart.
As difficult as it is for one partner to ask a hard question, such as whether the pair is okay or not, it’s better to ask now than later. Always best to ask if we’re okay, then to look back and realize we weren’t really as okay as we may have assumed. Therefore, this is a song where no assumptions are made. It’s about being proactive in a relationship.
Philosophers told us in olden days that the unexamined life is not worth living. Sure, we all want to live happy-go-lucky lives, without a care in the world. But that describes absolutely nobody we know. No, we should always be examining our lives and asking ourselves how were doing. The same principle goes for relationships. Never assume everything is always well, or you may be in for a rude awakening. That’s what makes this such an unusual and interesting song. Often, we hear singers bragging about what great lovers they are. They extol their solid relationships. Maybe more folks should be asking questions, and more musicians should write songs with question marks at the end.
Questioning songs like this one are more expected from ultimate romantics, like Barry Manilow, rather than alternative artists, such as Mr MooQ. Thankfully, Mr MooQ took a gutsy move by writing and recording this memorable track. He may be in a questioning phase in his relationship, but he’s certainly on solid ground artistically. It bodes well for his upcoming EP. Let’s see what other questions Mr MooQ has up his sleeve.
-Dan MacIntosh
