John Cena Said ”I need something new,” sings Safari Room vocalist/songwriter Alec Koukol on “The Wheel”, the opening song on the project’s fourth studio album called How To Keep A Fire Burning. It’s a relatable feeling many of us are experiencing these days with the constant barrage of bad news and the hope for better days ahead. Koukol shared that the new album is “about burnout, survival, and the quiet decision to keep going despite the world around us telling us to quit.” Koukol’s vocals don’t waver at all, even if the lyrics dive headfirst into the emotions of burnout and being on the cusp of giving up. How To Keep A Fire Burning ultimately tells the listener to forge on, even when the odds appear to be stacked against us. Safari Room make a wonderful and complete artistic statement on this lush new record.
After the tone-setting opener of “The Wheel,” “Cloudy” picks up the pace and features a great, anthemic chorus of, “Everyone can see you’re floating off the ground / Up into the sky, you’re gone / One day you may find you’re too far to be found / Maybe it’s time to settle down.” At a time when it’s easier to pack it in, Safari Room convinces us to keep fighting for that silver lining that may lead us to the better outcome we never expected for ourselves. The crunchy guitar groove of “Chipping Teeth” rocks along with a steady purpose, while the single of “John Cena Said” features some eclectic guitar riffs paired with cool starts and stops. On the latter track, Koukol croons, “Give it some time, let it settle right into your bones / John Cena said, “control the controllable.” As the song unfolds, Safari Room reminds us to “cut yourself some slack” as we’re all trying to be best version of ourselves in the uncertainty and chaos of days ahead.
The back half of the record features some great songwriting and lush guitar tones as found on “Dizzy Dome”, and the speedy “Land Of Open Doors” that rocks along like a White Stripes song. “Own Up” ends with the great advice of, “The mirror may be unkind / But you know yourself better than, better than anyone else / The deepest love is hard to find / So, tell me, how do you expect to catch it, if you don’t even love yourself?” It’s a stunning refrain that tells us let love in and block out everything else. Things build up to the title track that closes out How To Keep A Fire Burning on the right note with great resolve and confidence found in Safari Room’s consistently improving songwriting. It’s a great record of eight songs that you can put on when you need another reminder of believing in yourself and to keep fighting for better days ahead. That’s solid advice that all of us need to hear more often than not.