Nostalgia can be a great motivator, both for musicians and men who think they’re destined to invent the time machine; there’s a double-edged sword when it comes to living in the past through memories and knick-knacks, of course, but for the most part, nostalgia does an exceptional deal to propel good ideas towards greatness.
Heading into the second decade of the twenty-first century, it’s interesting as a writer and as a listener to see what trends in music are coming full circle: vinyl, lo-fi production, and one-take recordings seem to be making their way back to the mainstream in full force, for example. Paul Hatem’s debut album When I Get Old is an album fully indebted to nostalgia and reminiscing, and it makes a case for the positives of nostalgia-based living more than anything else.
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Starting things off strong with “Simon,” Paul Hatem discusses the intricacies of inheriting a younger sibling. His keen sense of humor dances across the lyrics, and his deft ear for classic melodies and song structure elevate the fairly straightforward track. As you listen to the album in full, at face value the songs might feel like they could become plain or stale — tackling subject matter out of everyday life and his childhood memories (“Hot Summer Nights” is a tune about growing up in his childhood home) could be mundane if not written well.
Thankfully, Hatem is a masterful storyteller and songwriter and his gift brings levity and intentionality to even the most simple subject matters. Not every song sneaks by on account of simplistic narratives, however, as “Hot Day in the City” serves as a poignant blues song based on Hatem’s love for his wife (he wrote the track for her birthday, and said it was the hardest writing assignment he has ever taken on.) “I Think of You” is the other side of the coin, as it functions as a break-up song that feels destined to tug on even the most cynical person’s heartstrings. Still, for every hard-hitting emotional release, there are songs like “Pancakes, Bacon, and Eggs,” a song about Hatem’s go-to menu item while on a road trip, that gives a necessary levity to When I Get Old.
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The title track “When I Get Old” is another nifty double-edged track, as it playfully talks about what Hatem wanted to get into when he grew up — there’s a distinct amount of attention paid to the concept of mortality as the lyrics bring up dying multiple times, and the tinge of melancholy that the lines will bring are gently swept away. “The Dead” is another standout track that doesn’t shy away from the concept of death and what comes afterward; there’s attention paid to what it means to die, and what it might mean to carry your sins on beyond your mortal form. It’s heavy stuff! When I Get Old walks the tightrope well, though, and never brings listeners down too far. The nostalgic curiosity meshed with Hatem’s job as a honed wordsmith brings the album to comfortable heights that will have the audience reflecting on their life trajectories.
Chadwick Easton