Grayscale Revisits the Past with “Mum II”
Fans may be surprised to see that the second single for Grayscale’s impending fourth album is not a track that’s been teased at their recent shows. Instead, the band is introducing an emotionally raw ballad, “Mum II,” (aptly released on Mother’s Day) which replies lyrically and sonically to a track off their first album, seven years later.
Described as “a love song about vocalist Collin Walsh’s mother,” the song is vivid in its honesty, a quality Grayscale is far from new at. But in returning to a relationship which has reverberated through their music for years, it hits a new depth; lasting nearly five full minutes, listeners are brought unabashedly into memories seen through a new lens.
On “Adornment” (2017), the track “Mum” tells the story of the difficult relationship from a different, younger, more frustrated perspective. It’s emphasized by the heavier sound Grayscale leaned toward in their early years.
But “Mum II,” while full-backed at times, strips the musicality in its verses down to let the lyrics stand clearly. Like previous fan favorite ballads (“Forever Yours,” “King of Everything”) the new song emphasizes the band’s ability to unpack emotional experiences into visual, impactful lyrics.
Several of the lyrics parallel closely, if not identically, between the two renditions — proving a stark change in the singer’s point of view. “Mum” begins, “I saw you in my sleep last night / chasing after me riding my first bike,” which is altered in “Mum II,” opening to a gentle piano: “Ma you were in my sleep again / like a kaleidoscope.”
Walsh admits, “I know those songs still hurt you / won’t play them anymore,” a fact fans who have emotionally connected with the original track may have even taken note of over the years. But he says that over time it wasn’t one he wanted to play live, “out of an emotional protectiveness and empathy towards what she has been through, her struggles, and her problems.”
In perhaps the most emotionally intense moment of the song, Walsh’s voice trembles in the second verse as he sings, “I’m so sorry ma / I wasn’t there to protect you.” The roles of parent and child feel starkly reversed, as Walsh states on the song that “As I have gotten older, I have felt my youthful anger towards her turn into a mixture of forgiveness, understanding, love, and protectiveness.”
The power behind the vocals on the first “Mum” feel fueled by hurt, as the bridge gives name to the song: “You were my chrysanthemum, but all went wrong.” But even then, vocalist / guitarist Dallas Molster sang, “I’m sorry mother / I know what you feel when you’re alone.”
And just as the song in its entirety represents a growth in the relationship, even within the track alone, the emotions build new layers. Though each chorus repeats, “Still can’t say it back / but there’s love growing over the sores,” the final lines take a step forward: “But I love you and it’s all good now / Yeah I love you and we’re all good now.”
In the final moments of the song, all instrumental fades away, leaving only an acoustic guitar picking at the same melody as “Mum,” but with a new heart. It’s choices like this which exemplify Grayscale’s musical ingenuity. Paired with the band’s dedication to emotional vulnerability, their ability to translate the feelings into the music itself is what drives songs like “Mum II” directly to listeners’ hearts.
