Luke Hemmings’ Debut Solo Album ‘When Facing the Things We Turn Away From’ Is A Powerful Statement About Time
Samantha Colleran, August 2021
One thing I love about music is when it makes you feel weird emotions you can’t explain. There are songs that make you happy, songs that make you sad, songs that make you want to dance, but there’s nothing better than the songs that make you feel something bigger than words. A whole album of songs that’ll make you feel this way? When Facing the Things We Turn Away From, the debut solo album by Luke Hemmings.
Most famously known as ¼ of the band 5 Seconds of Summer, Luke recently stepped out of the comforts of the group and is now the second member of the band to release a solo album, the aforementioned WFTTWTAF. I was thoroughly impressed by the lead single, “Starting Line”, and had a feeling this album would be an interesting ride. Time is a focal point of the album; learning to fill in the blank spaces of lost time (“I wake up every morning with the years ticking by/ I’m missing all these memories, maybe they were never mine”, Luke sings on lead single and starting track “Starting Line”), longing for moments in your life when you were happy (from “Saigon”, “Oh, you never know inside those moments/ How good it was, and how you wasted/ All this time alone”), and even escaping time (“I’m on my way to wonderland/ Take off my suit and wander in/ For a moment/ Or stay for a lifetime”, “Baby Blue”). As someone who spent the better half of their life growing up in the spotlight, it’s understandable why Luke would be so drawn to writing about the subject.
One word I would use to describe this album as a whole would be big. Everything about this album is grand, even its quieter moments feel powerful. In terms of production and instrumentation, it’s incredibly well rounded. There’s the fast paced, upbeat tracks like “Saigon” and “Motion”, deeper lyrical content on “Diamonds” and “Comedown”, and powerhouse instrumentation on “Mum”. Luke allows us a closer look into the inner workings of his mind; messy and confusing feelings are rolled up into one cohesive, stunning body of work. It tugs at every inch of your heart and mind, it causes you to think and feel, and there’s really nothing more you could want from an album.
I haven’t cried over an album in a while, but When Facing the Things We Turn Away From caused such a strong emotional reaction to bubble up and spill out of me. The lyrics are timeless, different strings of words will hit you at different points of time for reasons you may not be able to explain. Each song on WFTTWTAF will make you feel something. What that something is, you’ll have to decide that for yourself. My top three songs have been changing a lot, but at the time of writing this post…
Sam’s Song Selection
1. “Baby Blue”: Something about the instrumentals on this track drew me to it initially, they’re light and airy, contradicting the slightly darker lyrical content. The idea of escapism in the lyrics is also something I found myself incredibly drawn to. This title was one that caught my eye when I was looking at the tracklist and I had a gut feeling it would make it into my top three, and it certainly did not disappoint!
2. “Comedown”: I’m a sucker for closing tracks, and this one is certainly a new favorite! Luke described the meaning of the line “Let it come down on me” as allowing yourself to “feel it all, the good and the bad and everything in between”. It’s a hopeful note to end the album on, none of the other tracks would have felt right to end with.
3. “Diamonds”: This is perhaps one of the deepest tracks lyrically. Luke opens up about the fact he never thought he’d make it to 25 for a lot of different reasons. Experiencing as much as he has in such a short span of time can take its toll, and not knowing how to deal with the pressure can add to those experiences. Hearing the honesty and vulnerability in his voice was a shock to me.
You can stream When Facing the Things We Turn Away From on Apple Music, Spotify, or any other streaming service you may use! Let me know your thoughts on the album in the comments, and share your favorite song if you have one!