In 1999, American Football released their first self-titled album, American Football. The album features calming singing voices that are filled with emotions, which blend the rhythmic guitar rifts with slow drum beats. For me, this album is a source of comfort during difficult times. The songs are filled with emotions that truly resonate with me. Listening to this album provides much-needed reassurance whenever I feel alone and lost. This isn’t just any album that you listen to and forget; it has a special place in my heart. The lyrics are soft and drawn-out, while the instrumentals are repetitive yet atmospheric. The repetition in the instrumentals works well, as each instrument builds on the other, creating a unique and atmospheric sound that never gets boring.

Never Meant is by far the most popular and iconic track on this album. It’s soothing with its use of the guitar. The lyric tells the story of falling out of love. While the words seem vague, they really help you put yourself in his shoes. You see yourself in the lyrics and it almost reflects you in a way. You associate this song with past loves that you would rather just forget about. He sings in such a melodramatic way that it seems like he is just trying to forget them. He doesn’t want to think about what they used to be anymore because he knows the longer he thinks about it, the more he will end up missing them. You see yourself in him; when he sings and speaks those words, you think about how they apply to you.

Honestly, this song is such a kick in the stomach for me. I get so emotional listening to it. When I listen to it, I’m constantly reminded that all the issues I’m facing seem so childish from an outside perspective, and I understand that it’s childish but it’s so real to me. I haven’t done a lot in my life, so trying new things feels like massive changes to me, but they never seem to last. I feel like I always end up going back to the same point in life. This song is bittersweet for me. On the one hand, it’s comforting knowing that I’m not the only one who feels this way but on the other, having to accept these feelings and live with them is so hard. This song might not mean that much to you but to me, it fills me with so many feelings and emotions. It’s almost eerie in a way.

The track, But The Regrets Are Killing Me, doesn’t have very complicated lyrics but it’s filled with so much sadness. You can hear the emptiness he feels in his voice. The soft, vibrant guitar helps add contrast to the mood of the vocals, which makes that emptiness so much more apparent. The beat of the drums maintains the balance of the guitar and vocals. When you focus on one part of the song, the tone feels different but when it’s all together, it feels almost complete, It highlights the sadness of the singer while letting the rhythmic guitar shine through. The drum is consistent throughout the song and without it, everything would fall apart. Never Meant, Honestly, and But The Regrets Are Killing Me are my top picks of the album.