Starting the journey to bettering your mental health feels serious and fraught with heavy moments. Peter Michaels Jr. takes a different approach. “Medication” takes a lighthearted look at getting some mental self-care.
A wonderfully weird and quirky opening quickly bounces into harmony and rhythm that make you feel a little high. The chorus furthers that Alice in Wonderland sensation with the line, “I need some medication, or I’ll wind up in sedation.” Somewhere a Cheshire Cat is bobbing its head along with that line.
The levity lifts only momentarily (and not even completely) when triplets enter the rhythm. There’s an unbalanced feel, mirroring the struggle Peter Michaels Jr. sings about. It’s not overt, but anyone who’s struggled with their own mental well-being will instantly understand that sensation. It’s an artful nod to the realism behind this happy-go-lucky song.
The other moment of realism is the ending. Repeating the chorus feels almost like a fixation. But again, it’s done in such a way that we’re not dragged into melancholy. It’s a light touch to a serious topic and one that speaks volumes about just how much care Peter Michaels Jr. has put into making the tone just right.
Stream “Medication” below. Check out all of Michaels Jr.’s album Dune too.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.
