Establishing the mood with a psychedelic synth and fierce guitars, Mothman and The Thunderbirds tap into a high octane and dimensional energy with So Long (Portal Hopper). The opus is laced with dynamism and self-realized prose from Alex Parkinson with a unique and trippy vocal design that we cannot get enough of!
The lyrics reflect a journey through inner turmoil, identity crises, and existential reflections, all set against a backdrop of surreal and dreamlike imagery. So Long (Portal Hopper) begins with the narrator being told, “You keep on tellin’ me, we’ll cut the scene and get it in frame.” This suggests a repeated effort to organize or understand a situation, much like editing a film scene by scene. The cycle of starting and pausing implies a struggle to make progress or find clarity. However, in dreams, the narrator experiences a sense of emptiness or loss of identity, as described in, “But in my dreams I’m hollowed clean, and I forget my own name.” The cyclical nature of these feelings, “it comes and goes in waves,” suggests that they are recurrent and unpredictable.
The chorus introduces the idea of leaving behind worldly concerns, “So long to all these worlds things in the portal.” The portal symbolizes a transition or journey to another realm or state of being. The bridge draws a comparison to ancient megafauna, “Just like the Pleistocene megafauna, we’ll rule the place a while.” This suggests a fleeting period of control or success. However, as the climate warms, these creatures fall to extinction, “and you fall to man’s blade.” This mirrors the inevitable decline or failure faced by the narrator, possibly due to external forces or internal vulnerabilities.
Overall, So Long (Portal Hopper) paints a vivid picture of someone grappling with their sense of self and reality, oscillating between moments of clarity and confusion. The recurring themes of dreams, loss of identity, and the cyclical nature of these struggles reflect a deep inner conflict. The imagery of portals, water, and prehistoric animals adds a layer of surrealism and metaphorical depth, emphasizing the transient and often precarious nature of existence and personal power.
We learn that the track is taken from Mothman and The Thunderbirds‘ upcoming album, Portal Hopper, which holds the central theme of escapism, and the ultimate escape from that very concept. The twelve tracks narrate the odyssey of the titular portal hopper, who ventures beyond the natural world into a succession of surreal realms accessible only through portals. These portals are bestowed upon the portal hopper by the enigmatic Flatwoods Monster, leading to encounters with various cryptids in these fantastical lands.
The journey ultimately brings the portal hopper to the Squonk Kingdom, where quaint creatures safeguard the only space station capable of accessing the Akashic Records—a repository of all knowledge, past, present, and future. Overwhelmed by the immense burden of infinite knowledge and finite mortality, the portal hopper chooses to return to the natural world to reconcile with an earthbound existence. However, to achieve freedom, the portal hopper must confront the Flatwoods Monster in a final battle.
We absolutely love the conscious, conceptual depth and the sonic design of what Mothman and The Thunderbirds. The journey of escapism and self-realization is something that we all need right now, so we have added So Long (Portal Hopper) to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our new TRIPPY playlist, whist we anticipate the release of the record and immerse ourselves in the creators’ wider discography, including Ruby Skies which is also featured on the album!