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Since 2003, Florida-based indie-rock band Copeland has been writing melodic, heartfelt, and relaxing music. Since 2006 when a friend of mine showed me their song “The Last Time He Saw Dorie,” they have been one of my favorites. On October 29, 2009 the band announced they were separating and would embark on one last tour in the Spring of 2010. The “break-up” was not due to internal struggles between individuals. Instead, the members of Copeland felt they had done everything they had set out to do. After numerous tours, four records, and appearances on three different record labels (The Militia Group, Columbia Records, and Tooth & Nail Records), Copeland has accomplished much and deserves to “retire.”  So here's to Copeland, and here are mini-synopses of their four studio albums.

 

Beneath Medicine Tree - Lovely. This one word describes Copeland's debut album. Musically, the album is a balance between piano and guitar. The opening piano ballad, “Brightest,” introduces Aaron Marsh's signature falsetto and Copeland's sad yet hopeful lyrics, which are best exemplified when Marsh sings, “I just know that she warms my heart / And knows what all my imperfections are / Still she says that I am the brightest little firefly in her jar.” Most of the album contains strong motifs of hospitals and caring for friends in sickness. “When Paula Sparks” and “California” are two wonderful songs that speak about distance between lovers. At the end of the album Marsh prays through the lyrics of “When Finally Set Free” for God to heal an unknown individual. Lyrically, this is Copeland's most direct album: Marsh appears to be singing about actual events from his life.

 

In Motion - The wonderful thing about Copeland is that they evolve with every album. No two albums sound the same. Copeland grows more melodic, upbeat (comparatively), and guitar driven on their sophomore album. “No One Really Wins,” the opening track, features a count off by drummer Jon Bucklew and a gritty guitar riff from guitarist Bryan Laurenson. Similar guitar riffs are found on tracks like “Pin Your Wings” and “Love is a Fast Song.” However, Marsh doesn't entirely give up the piano, allowing it to seep back in on “Kite” and “Don't Slow Down.” Marsh's lyrics are much broader, meaning they are not about specific instances. Instead, Marsh speaks to the audience. The best example of this comes from the last track, “Hold Nothing Back.” Here he tells the listener, “If you fall in love / Fall in love and hold nothing back.”

 

Eat, Sleep, Repeat - This record marks the biggest leap of Copeland's career. While In Motion suggested Copeland would be using more guitars, Eat, Sleep, Repeat pulls out the piano and puts away the “harsh” guitars. Laurenson stops playing rhythm guitar (chunky chords) and focuses on adding guitar melodies to complement Marsh's vocal melodies. Bucklew adds more spastic and electronic rhythms that deviate from the generic rock beats on In Motion. The tone of this album is darker and . . . sleepier. “Love Affair,” a slow piano ballad, features a mid-song transition to a slow jazz interlude. After the chorus of the piano ballad “The Last Time He Saw Dorie,” a string ensemble begins playing a lovely melody that sound like a lullaby. The lyrics of this album are also darker and more apathetic. On “Control Freak” Marsh proclaims, “I threw it all away / But the best part is not knowing just what I threw away.” Similarly, during “I'm a Sucker For a Kind Word,” Marsh sings, “It's sad but I'm a sucker for a kind word / And I'll just hurt until I find one.” Although most of the album is sad, the last song, “When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out,” offers hope. After giving stories from his childhood, Marsh proclaims, “Didn't I see you when you thought you'd never stand out?” This line offers hope that each of us will find someone who will love us for who we are.

 

You Are My Sunshine - Here Copeland makes a record that sounds bright yet haunting. While the lyrics speak of human emotion, the music sounds like a different world. Something foreign. The best example of the contrast between dark lyrics and bright music is “The Grey Man.” While the song sounds happy enough, Mash sings, “Run, run fast enough to lose yourself / Our legs were straight, but only move in circles.” Similarly, “The Day I Lost My Voice” sounds almost like a peppy radio ballad, but as guest singer Rae Cassidy proclaims, “For a moment I was warm and the world made sense / For a moment here this storm had no consequence.” The bright sound is created by electric piano, thus the record is more ambient and electronic while still retaining a pop/rock feel. Marsh plays electric piano on most of the songs. Then Laurenson puts some distortion back into Copeland's sound with “What Do I Know?” and “Good Morning, Fire Eater.” The best song on the album, however, is the final 11-minute track, “Not So Tough Found Out.” With each layer added to the song, Copeland creates a new dimension to a beautiful melody.

 

My favorite Copeland record is Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Although it is their darkest album (musically and lyrically), the sleepy feel is very relaxing. I actually almost fall asleep when listening to “Love Affair.”  Throughout their career the members of Copeland (Bryan Laurenson, Aaron Marsh, Jon Bucklew, and formerly James Likeness) pushed themselves to create art, not just write songs. From Beneath the Medicine Tree to You Are My Sunshine, their efforts were a success.

 

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