nurture - Porter Robinson | Track-by-track Review

A track-by-track review of the newly released sophomore album from Porter Robinson
published 12 jun 2021

Table of Contents

‼️ Disclaimer ‼️

I am not a music reviewer!

I also have a heavy bias towards because I have loved his previous projects (Worlds, and Virtual Self), so take all of this with a grain of salt, I just want to talk about Porter’s music, and how i feel about it, all on my own platform, so no one can stop me. >:) :D

What the layout of this review will look like.

I am going to talk about each track, and how I enjoy/stuff about it from the artist themselves.

“Quotes that look like this” are lyrics

Quotes that look like this

Are from someone’s mouth, in a statement. Not lyrics.

Everything else should just look standard.

About

Nurture (stylized as ‘nurture’ through most of the promotional art), is Porter Robinson’s sophomore album after 7 years since his EDM classic album “Worlds”. Revealed by Robinson on an aesthetic filled announcement video published on January 28, of 2020, it reveals the aesthetic we will see Porter use for the next year while hyping up the album. The then unreleased track “Mirror” playing in the background, really sets the tone in this video too.

After about 16 months of anticipation, nurture released on April 23rd, 2021 through the Mom+Pop label.

The Review

This review is broken down and talks about all of the songs, then the last section will have a final score as well as talking about more thing about the album overall.

(1.) Lifelike

Lifelike is a beautiful piano intro that really sets the mood for nurture. It is (what I feel) is the perfect introduction to the album, and is a good choice to place it at track #1.

(2.) Look at the Sky

Look at the Sky an upbeat joyful, and some would describe “hopeful”, song. This song was revealed during Porter’s Secret Sky 2020 set, at the end. After fans begged and begged, this song released as a single on January 27, 2021. Porter said in the description of the Look at the Sky (Lyric Video) on YouTube,

“i see ‘Look at the Sky’ as a mantra to remind myself that there’s good reason for hope, and that people can meaningfully improve themselves and the world.”

I can see this throughout the entire song, with lyrics like:

“I’ll be alive next year

I can make something good, oh”

and:

“Shouldn’t it come to you naturally?

And everyone knows (Oh)

You’re losing your gift and it’s plain to see

But then something must have changed in me

I don’t fear it anymore

Now I’m sure

I’m sure”

You can see Porter portraying this message throughout the song. These lyrics can be applied to really anything in life, which makes the song very relatable to a lot of people. This song is a banger, that really grew on me ever since the single released.

(3.) Get Your Wish

Get Your Wish was the first single Porter released after announcing ‘nurture’. The music video showing him standing on a screen with water placed on top of it, and behind him being another large screen. (This being the setup for the recently revealed ‘nurture live’ stage) This was the first taste of how nurture was going to sound, and is an amazing song in my opinion. , Porter explains that Get Your Wish is about, “finding a reason to keep moving forward.” Porter then explains how during 2015 through 2017, Porter was doing really badly, and felt that his entire life revolved around music, and that for the first time in his music career, he was struggling to write new music.

“When the glory tries to tempt you

It may seem like what you need

But if glory makes you happy

Why are you so broken up??”

I absolutely love this song, the production on this is amazing making it a banger during the chorus.

(4.) Wind Tempos

When the next track (Musician) came out as a single, on Twitter replied, , saying, “oh cool so no instrumentals on the album.” Porter jokingly responded with this banger tweet:

This image shows Porter's Tweet replying "INCORRECTO" to @alivenextyear

Anyways, what I’m trying to get at here is that Wind Tempos is the first instrumental track in the tracklist. Yes, this means that there is at least 1 more. ;)

Wind Tempos is a 6 MINUTE long instrumental track. This is the LONGEST track on nurture. While you might think that I keep emphasizing this because I think it’s a bad thing, it’s quite the opposite actually! I really do enjoy this song.

It is a very unique song, and almost not an interlude. It’s not an interlude because of simply how long it is. However, it could be an interlude into the next track ‘Musician’, just because of the simplicity (yet complex composition) of the track. To say it’s a simple song, would simply be wrong. Wind Tempos is a very calm and soothing track, that really captures Nature at its finest. Just a great track in general.

(5.) Musician

Musician is the “last” single of nurture.

Musician is about Porter’s struggles as a Musician after trying to follow up his debut album “Worlds”. He talks about loving his past work, and wanting to create more music to be proud of, while also talking about not wanting to lose his love for music. This track also talks about subjects like burnout.

Musician also tackles Porter’s scary realization that he could quit what was helping him through tough times, that being music.

Lyrics like:

“No, I don’t wanna lose it, this emotion”

“I burn up, burn out

I shouldn’t do this to myself”

“Then they say, ‘Fine

Well, do what you need to

But I don’t wanna see you wasting your life

Now isn’t it time you get a job?’“

I personally LOVE this song with a passion. The instrumental is AMAZING. With vocal chops from an unreleased Kero Kero Bonito x Porter Robinson collab.

The “woo, yeah!” sample in the background is so good, and is permanently engrained in my mind when listening to this track.

That’s really all I can say about this song, which is kind of surprising that I wouldn’t say more since I have over 250+ plays of this song as I am writing this.

(6.) do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do

While technically do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do (shortened to do-re-mi in this review) is a song with lyrics, the only lyrics being:

“There’s too much I want to say, so

Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do

All I want is said and done

Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do”

I’m going to call it an instrumental track, because the majority of the song is, well, an instrumental.

Porter has said:

It feels like rollerblading through my neighbourhood—just feeling free and in this childlike state.

and, I agree a ton! I feel like I could go out side with some headphones in, riding on my skateboard jamming out to this song.

do-re-mi is a great, fun, quirky, weird song. I love it a lot!

Nothing much to say about it, since its a short (feels short, is a 3 and a half minute song), sweet, instrumental track.

(7.) Mother

Get the tissues out, this song talks about your mother!!!!!!!!!

Porter said:

I wanted a song that expressed the love that I feel for my parents—as well as the grief of growing up. I felt like the minute I moved out, my youth would be over and I’d hardly ever see my family or dog again. In reality it wasn’t like that at all, I still see them all the time. But I wanted to capture the sad side of growing up—of realising your parents aren’t infallible.

Honestly, I couldn’t have said it better myself. He executes showing the grief of growing up perfectly with this track.

The lyrics talk about moving out of your childhood bedroom, the love Porter feels for his parents.

The production on this track really do fit the vibe for this song, and just the overall feeling for this song Porter was trying to achieve worked great with the instrumentals.

Also another thing is, sometimes throughout this song Porter has a weird british accent. I don’t know if this is just me hearing this, but it’s just something funny that I wanted to point out.

Nothing much to say, but this song is near to my heart because like most of us i love my mother.

(8.) dullscythe

The now 3rd instrumental on the album, dullscythe.

Porter says:

… it’s the one track that doesn’t have a standard tempo. I wanted it to feel really hard and chaotic—something at the midway point to keep people on their toes—

I’m not really sure on how to comment on this track, you are just going to have to listen to it yourself.

dangcj under the dullscythe Genius page says:

this would be a good explanation for this song

“This song is about when you don’t know what should you do, so you press randomly and repeatly the music notes until you finally make a beautiful melody. The music notes are the choices you have in your life and when you finally find the purpose of your life, you can make a beautiful and harmonious melody with that choices.”

By: Kisuke Himari

I mean, yeah, that is a pretty good explanation for dullscythe.

Nothing much to say, but my opinion on this track is that it’s a grower, and it grows hard, I love this track.

(9.) Sweet Time

SURPRISE! Porter loves Rika! (Rika is Porter’s girlfriend.)

This song talks about Porter being so in love that, “you’re scared of dying.”

This track definitely hits in the feels. Porter even said, “I was bawling my eyes out in the studio,” Which really, who wasn’t bawling when they heard this song for the first time. T-T

The production on this song is slow and steady, which really gives it the impact Porter was probably going for.

Just a great song overall, I don’t really know what else to say!

(10.) Mirror

What’s that? Another nurture single? Yep!

Mirror is the 3rd single that Porter dropped before the album.

Mirror is about Porter’s negative inner voice, and how being hard on yourself can end up doing more harm then good.

Porter said in the song’s YouTube description:

“Mirror” is a song about the costs of being hard on yourself… It can be really liberating to recognize that most of the time, we’re only letting our own thoughts get in the way, and we can do something about it.

The production on this snog is beautiful (as most things are in nurture), and kinda upbeat for such a sad/negative song (in my opinion).

In the choruses though, the song goes hard! I love the beat that Porter put on Mirror!

Great song, great message, stop being hard on yourself!!!!!!

“Sometimes, the inner voice is encouraging, Calling for you to run those final few yards, You’re nearly there, keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going, It will all be okay in the end.”

(11.) Something Comforting

ANOTHER ONE, NURTURE SINGLE THAT IS!!!!!!

Something Comforting is the 2nd nurture single.

THE DROP, THE DROP. THE DROP. ITS…. ITS SO GOOD, SO CATCHY, MY FAVORITE MUSIC.

ANYWAYS YEAH, THIS SONG… IS A BANGER

The production on this track goes crazy, the weird compressed (?) guitar strings, the drop again is amazing, the vocals sound great (as they do on most of the album).

This song is simple, gets straight to the point, and is a banger. So literally nothing bad!

(12.) Blossom

PORTER LOVES RIKA, Part 2!

Blossom is an acoustic guitar ballad from Porter to his girlfriend, Rika.

This song:

  1. was written in 1 night
  2. hits in the feels, hard
  3. is so good.

This track, again, talks about being scared of death, due to loving someone so much.

Porter says:

How much joy does it fill you with to imagine somebody you love and care about really happy?

OMG THE PART WHERE HE TURNS OFF THE VOICE MANIPULATION AND SAYS

“it’s just that i love you”

AAAAAAAAA TEARS.

Anyways, this is a beautiful acoustic poem, that Porter surprisingly pulls off.

(13.) Unfold

Featuring Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

This song is the actual final single of nurture.

The production on this track, is so good. Like amazing, perfect. I don’t really know how to describe it, but it’s just so good. Definitely my favorite track off nurture.

This is definitely, as Porter said an, “end of the album moment.” This song closes out nurture with a BANG! I can’t really describe how much I love this song, and how it sounds to me.

The production sounds like Porter and TEED are singing in the middle of a glitch, and it sounds amazing.

The harsh sounds and all being the cherry on top.

As well as Porter and TEED sounding amazing on this track.

(14.) Trying to Feel Alive

The closer, to nurture.

This song is a great closer. In fact, I say it’s a better closer then Goodbye to a World.

This song ends nurture with several questions like:

“Well, do you feel better now?”

“You climbed a mountain, are you satisfied?”

This song’s production with the synth is, chef’s kiss, amazing.

It really is a true closer to the album.

This song was me trying to make sense of the whole journey, trying to figure out what has changed.

Porter says this while talking about this track, and I think he really pulled it off with this track. He signaled this message perfectly through the production and just the lyrics.

A simple, complex, sweet, tear-jerker, closer to this amazing album.

How I score reviews.

Now since this is my first “music review”, I suppose I have to go into how I score these albums and such before I score nurture.

I have 2 scales.

There are 2 different scales that I use on different albums, smaller albums like EPs and some indie work I will only put under a out of 5 review. Full LPs and other projects from major label artists will be put under both a out of 5 score and a out of 10 score.

Most important thing is that:

5/5 does not equal 10/10!!!

5/5 means it is GREAT, AMAZING you might say. However, I probably wouldn’t say it’s perfect, unless of course I specifically say it is perfect.

Score and final thoughts.

Out of 5: 5/5

Out of 10: 10/10!

I truly think this album is PERFECT! I really don’t know how to describe my love with this album. I really just have a deep love with this album, and the upcoming live show. I love everything about it, the production, the lyrics, the meaning to all of it, is really good, and I love it lots.

remember, its just my opinion ;)

Sources

Most of when I said “Porter said this” came from the nurture Genius page, which sourced what Porter said on Apple Music