up above’s opening track “if all is lost” begins with “A bird can’t fly without a place to go” which sets the tone for Wrabel’s third record. It asks the question, “Where do we go now that the end is here?”. The hopefulness of this opening track knocks the wind out of your lungs. Wrabel insists on the potential of an ending to start again. Although the lyrics are nostalgia and sadness-tinted, it feels like the first spring day after the coldness of winter.
The title track “up above” returns to the bird imagery, an elaboration of the sentiment that began the album. Here, Wrabel highlights the optimism of nature as well as the world continuing to turn, even when we feel like our world has ended. The synth takes the front row of production as it expresses how fast our lives go. It then slows down to represent the perspective of someone who can’t keep up due to what they’ve experienced. Yet, “The sky is falling / The world is ending / From up above / Beautiful / In technicolor lights” shows how to find beauty in the end.
We slow down with the repeated notes of a soft piano as Wrabel’s high vocals on “greener” reminiscence on moments lived. There is an existentialism as the running thread of the album, a questioning of a higher place. He expresses the memory of questioning if the grass was greener somewhere else. The repetition of “I don’t want to know now” shows gratefulness towards the present. The last minute is an outro with distorted echoes of “I don’t want to know now.” It transports us on a dream-like atmosphere.
“future” deepens the urgency of living in the moment while looking ahead at the future. A very present feeling here is the refusal to look back on the past. Everything that has lead the artist to this moment, his own relation to mortality and the difficulties of living, has opened the path to happiness. It’s a deeply positive emotion that emanates through the sound, prompting the listener to bathe in the sunlight of the present.
The poeticism of this project is rooted in nature, which becomes obvious with “garden.” Wrabel compares the moments that have caused him the most suffering to rain, necessary for the growth of the seeds he planted. In my interpretation, it is a metaphor for the effort taken to make sure his future self is doing better. Now in the present, he compares the arrival of this one person as the summit of his steps taken in the uphill path towards happiness. At the same time, he fears losing this person, but doesn’t let it obstruct him anymore.
This happiness is the accumulation of everything he’s been through. He reflects on his independence and his mistakes on “best thing.” He exclaims in a soft manner that he wouldn’t trade the life he has now for anything. The strings along with Wrabel’s harmonies bring forth a peace, which builds up higher towards the outro as he repeats “Turn the light on.” He shows that anyone can reach this mindset if they choose openness rather than isolation.
The following track “birds & the bees” takes an even more acoustic route with a simple guitar production and the artist’s earnest vocals. Sadness envelops the listening sphere as he details the fear of abandonment. The vulnerability brought forth tears. Wrabel managed to capture the bravery and beauty of hopefulness in the face of adversity. His lyrics bring emotions to the surface and gives them a space to exist.
After the sadness of the previous track, “lights” picks up the pace with an upbeat tempo. Although it is mostly instrumental, it fits perfectly into the universe of the album as it turns onto a brighter path of acceptance.
“surrender” is a lowkey electronic track where the production takes the driver’s seat. The lyrics talk of the difficulty of accepting love in spite of the fear of loss that was explored beforehand. The struggle he portrays is a common emotion when it comes to romantic relationships. It’s what this album does best. He isn’t saying anything new, but the poeticism and vulnerability he approaches the complex emotion of love is innovative.
In the end, what he unveils is an inner perspective on everlasting love. With “sugar,” the devotion shown towards this person is energising. The drums give such a rhythm of the track that makes the listener want to run towards this feeling. Picturing this one at the end of a romcom as the final grand gesture takes place makes the most sense.
“shape of my heart” is a piano ballad that sums up the journey we have been through. Wrabel considers how love changes a person’s perspective on the world. While there’s still an element of distance here through the audio processing of his voice, that all changes on the closing track “lack of you.” There’s only the acoustic piano and Wrabel’s voice. He muses on the potential loss of this person that means the most to him. Reminiscent of the beginning of the record and with lyrics such as “Play all the tapes in rewind,” this project serves as a full circle portrayal of existence and the complexities that inhabit us all. It leaves us wondering if the story isn’t in reverse, or if it’s simply the cycle of loving and losing.
Either way, Wrabel has crafted a record that helps make sense of the confusion of being alive. While there is a focus on love, humanity’s strongest emotion, up above encapsulates existence through all its facets. It leaves us with the message that despite the fear, loss and suffering life might bring, the benefits will always be better than the outcome.
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