Delta Constellations’ recent release, The English Language, with its nine elaborately written songs, urges its audience to truly listen, as a form of rebellion against the fast-paced media in today’s world. On social media, where everything is compressed into 15-second videos, the album takes its time bravely to shed light on anxieties of the century: the marginalization of the queer community, hateful discourse ruling social media and a feeling of falling behind.
By Erva Turan
Picture: via Pixabay, CC0
Delta Constellations is a Göttingen based band which was formed in 2020 by Lion Schoor (vocals, guitar) after meeting the guitarist Aaron Nagel (lead guitarist) in Nörgelbuff, a live club in Göttingen that has been bringing musicians together for decades. By all means, a band needs more than two guitarists and a vocalist, which is where Jonas Frehse (bass) and Carsten Kuhn (drums) entered the picture. Although Kuhn still records the drums for the album, the band has recently welcomed a new drummer, Tobias Holtkamp, who now completes the current lineup.
Given that Göttingen is a small student city, it is curious how my path had not crossed with Delta Constellations until mid-September when they organized an album release party in Nörgelbuff, as an homage to the founding story of the band. As I listened to the songs which were preceded by mini-introductions and background stories, throughout the evening, I found myself laughing one moment and feeling somber or baffled the next, like the rest of the audience. The album offers a long journey as also indicated by the cover artwork – a picture taken from the window of the van while the band was touring.
A Paradox: The English Language
No song in the album shares its title, and as a literature graduate, I was immediately intrigued by this mysterious choice. My doubts could thankfully be assuaged when, after the concert, I had the chance to sit down with Lion for an interview and learn more about the album and the band. When I asked him, »Where does the album name come from? « and »What does the title mean?«, his answers were far more fascinating than I could have ever imagined. The inspiration for the band’s name is drawn from one of Lion’s beloved poets, Robert Frost’s poem On Looking Up By Chance at the Constellations.
As our conversation unfolded, Lion explained that the name of the album is meant to remind listeners to pay close attention to the lyrics, even though he considers it to be paradoxical. On the one hand, the lyrics are meant to be heard and understood; on the other hand, he acknowledges the limitations of language in conveying complex emotions. In a compromise for this paradox, The English Language embraces its audience by encouraging them to question societal norms and search for personal truth. Rather than turning depressive themes into sorrowful songs, the album responds with rebellion and, at times, minimalism, redirecting attention to what has long been overlooked. Lines such as »Meet me where the people don’t judge« and »Nothing really matters, we might just as well be…« appear deceptively simple yet carry a resonant power.
Alternative Rock meets Country
There is not an overarching theme running through the album, nor is there a single persona around which the narrative revolves. This open center makes it easy for listeners to relate to the songs in their own way, as the themes – ranging from social to deeply personal anxieties – are universally familiar. Each song tells a story, creating mini-rebellions in its capacity by refusing to focus on materialistic and superficial aspects of existence and encouraging its listeners to think critically about and beyond the norms. Loser urges the audience to use their voice for a better cause rather than creating a hateful discourse on social media; Seven Billion Years and Portugal indicate how queer people experience marginalization globally and becomes the queer community’s voice to reclaim what has been stolen from them, their free will to choose who they want to be openly and freely. These emotions are echoed by the simple yet playful and groovy guitar layers that are idiosyncratic to the band, alongside the fiercely played drum parts. Altogether, the album leans toward alternative rock tinged with country.
The mini-rebellions feel particularly noteworthy, as art often flourishes in response to the necessities of the era in which it is created. The English Language by Delta Constellations captures the spirit of the present moment, mirroring the suffocating social constructions and the overwhelming expectations imposed on individuals, such as rigid definitions of commitment, or the pressure to determine one’s life path as quickly as possible. Art offers a means of making sense of what appears chaotic, or, at times, simply allows for the recognition of chaos itself and an acceptance of the disordered nature of existence. Likewise, The English Language becomes a reminder that although the world may seem chaotic and its challenges insurmountable, no one has to stand alone, collective effort holds the power to transform the hateful, encaging discourse into a flowery and liberating one.
Melodic Stories
The album gently begins with a calm song Timing only to pick up the pace with the second song, Loser. This song holds a special place for me and is the reason why I am writing this review. In the album release party, the tiny snippet of this tune struck a chord in me. When I first heard the title, I assumed that it would be yet another love song and self-pity delivered with a bluesy vibe. However, Loser turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It was neither bluesy nor a love song but the very first rebellion The English Language starts. Lion pointed out that he wrote it after receiving considerable amounts of hateful comments under the videos where they urge their audience to use their voice and vote. As a result, the song advocates, »Get your a** out of the internet/try to do something considerate«. Loser, in a way, strips power away from unmindful labelling by embracing and exaggerating insult rather than resisting it and refuses to extend hateful discourse, reminding detractors what they have forgotten along the way: their hopes and dreams. The robust drum beats, bouncy rhythm and playful guitar melodies reinforce the irony embedded in the lyrics.
The third song introduces a theme that carries into the fourth: the prejudices and constraints faced by the queer community. Seven Billion Years further develops the playfulness and irony established with Loser. The title speaks for itself, framing time in a way that is rarely considered within the urgency and habits of daily life. The hyperbolic reminder that in seven billion years everything will have come to an end demonstrates the preposterousness of social constructions. With the lyrics, the perspective zooms out, offering a glimpse at the bigger picture: »A passenger on this pinhead-earth/Strangest of places, a big ball of dirt/That revolves around the sun«. This tune is a playful celebration of mortality, a cheery nihilism, reminding us that »if nothing really matters, we might just as well be…« – here the label is intentionally left blank, allowing the listeners to choose their own definitions, and be in their own terms, freely.
The following track, Portugal strikes me as the manifesto of the album, with its lengthy lyrics and slightly mysterious musical atmosphere. Long, sustained guitar chords underline the vulnerable emotion the words are expressing. It tells the story of a queer couple traveling as tourists to a land where, even if only for a moment, they can live their love openly and without judgment or constraint. »I want to choose what’s growing in my womb/Break the stone before the tomb/A public kiss could be my victory«. These beautiful lyrics encourage and empower queer people to live for themselves and find the courage to break free of the artificial chains. I believe, this song feels like the core statement of the album, as the very first and last mention of its title, The English Language is to be found in it. »Ain’t no words that could turn me down/In the English language/To make this feeling vanish«, highlighting the paradoxical nature of the language, which often falls short of expressing emotion and accessing the hidden parts of the self that extends beyond linguistic limitations – such as identity and sexuality, which are too complex to be confined to binary labels. Yet language remains the most powerful tool available for transforming restrictive discourse into one that is empowering and liberating– as The English Language album rolls up its sleeves to do so.
The last two tracks are about the expectations from one’s life, commitment issues, confusion, the feeling of falling behind. This is Fine is a playful tune which is named after the famous meme where the dog sits in the middle of fire, which is, once again, an irony, indicating that it is not at all fine. The goodbye song, 1990sth is like a yearly wrap-up, reminiscing and getting haunted by the feeling of falling behind whereas every other person looks like they have it all together (they probably do not). This acoustic song, unlike the others in the album, has no drums which creates the atmosphere of a living room concert: sincere, genuine and friendly.
Is This Album Worth a Listen?
Absolutely. The English Language is sincere and authentic. In a digital world where everything happens so fast and gets compressed into 15 second videos, the album takes it time to deliver its message, carefully building its atmosphere without urgency. It has many layers with utterly poetic lyrics, every time I listen to them, it makes me smile and say »Yes! I know exactly how that feels like!« Unlike music that offers momentary sedation, The English Language becomes an awakening call, suggesting that change begins within the self and then extends outward, breaking free of personal chains and helping others break theirs too, emphasizing that no one has to stand alone.
