Copeland is a band known for singer-songwriter Aaron Marsh’s devastating vocal acrobatics and meticulously crafted lyrics with help from drummer Bryan Laurelson. The band’s second release, In Motion, caught some longtime fans off guard with its more aggressive approach in the song arrangements. On Eat, Sleep, Repeat, Marsh and company have found the perfect balance between the melodic dance that was their debut release Beneath the Medicine Tree, and the independence of each track on their latest release, which makes the jump from indie label The Militia Group to major label Columbia Records complete.
The title track asks “Is it any surprise that you feel so overwhelmed / Do you think it’s unwise to go and break yourself on this one?” In the same breath its seems Marsh answers his own question replying “All this time you didn’t know love.” “I’m a Sucker For a Kind Word” has the narrator questioning not only security in his relationship, but also that of his lover. It seems his mind races just as fast as his heart.
Copeland are pros at incorporating piano and string sections into their work almost forcing fans to picture their songs in their minds. In “When You Thought You’d Never Standout” you can hear the doubt and accidental support found by the end of the song with lines like “Didn’t I see you when you thought you’d never stand out.” “Careful Now” warns of repeating mistakes of the past while the piano driven “Love Affair” shows off Marsh’s knack for melody and layering. “By My Side” explores the issue of pessimistic doubt and hurt pride in a doomed relationship and a “world without peace”; similar to that of an airplane plummeting to the ground but all the while sounding like a lullaby. The album as a whole is a narrative of relationships in their ever changing states. The doubt, hope, fear that embodies the one thing everyone strives to have – love in its purest form, however it may come. — Naimah Holmes
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