Walk the Moon Dropped a (Time)bomb

By: Livie Augustine

Hint after hint was dropped: from social media posts to a strange video on Walk the Moon’s homepage. Time. Fans were scrambling to investigate. Why was everything about time? Then at midnight on February 11th, Walk the Moon dropped a bomb. Their new single, “Timebomb”, released after a mysterious countdown was added to their website, and fans couldn’t be more excited.

“Timebomb” seems to be the start of a new era. Having just finished touring their third album, What If Nothing, for the past year, it seems that Walk the Moon is already back for more, and “Timebomb” was the perfect start.

The new track is an anthemic leap-of-faith with an upbeat and dance-worthy style. The astounding percussions by the band’s drummer, Sean Waugaman, are the perfect base for the single. Every steady and subtle tap creates a conundrum of infectious bouncing. First the feet, then the head, then any listener can’t help but dance along. Kevin Ray on bass and Eli Maiman on guitar give the song it’s poppiness. The bright strums allow the song to be peppy and uplifting without distracting from its meaning. Most of all, Nick Petricca’s vocals are the icing on the cake. His smooth pitch mixed with his pop-rock style makes the song entertaining and enjoyable.

“Timebomb” is a simple way to express fear for falling a friend. The story is prevalent and doesn’t require a great deal of analyzing. The simple lyrics avoid requiring listeners to think that much, giving them more energy to enjoy “Timebomb”. Ranging from fear of hurting someone to worrying over losing a friendship to falling for a friend, “Timebomb” has something everyone can connect to in one way, shape, or form. It’s universal.

The universality of Walk the Moon is what gives songs like “Timebomb” their flair. Among the messy chaos of having feelings for a friend, there is a fear that you might lose them forever. Comparing that anxiety to a ticking time bomb couldn’t be more perfect. Every second you spend could affect the outcome, every action, every word. It’s terrifying. But Walk the Moon puts that anxiety, that compassion, to paper and now the world has “Timebomb”. If this new year of new Walk the Moon music, it seems as if it could be the best one yet.