{"id":10910,"date":"2018-03-31T23:05:06","date_gmt":"2018-04-01T03:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.altwire.net\/?p=10910"},"modified":"2023-12-06T06:39:51","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T11:39:51","slug":"single-review-mike-shinoda-crossing-a-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altwire.net\/es\/single-review-mike-shinoda-crossing-a-line\/","title":{"rendered":"[Single Review] Mike Shinoda – Crossing a Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fresh off of the still spinning wheels of January’s EP postraum\u00e1tico<\/a><\/em>, by Mike Shinoda<\/a><\/strong>, which was the songwriter and vocalist’s first solo release underneath his own name (separate from Fuerte menor<\/a><\/strong>), the established vocalist\/multi-instrumentalist has just announced his first complete solo album, Postraum\u00e1tico<\/em>. Along with the announcement of Postraum\u00e1tico<\/em> Mike Shinoda<\/strong> has also released the album’s first single titled \u201cCrossing a Line\u201d, that includes a bonus track called \u201cNothing Makes Sense Anymore\u201d, which also has a slot on the new album.<\/p>\n

Crossing a Line is a song that tackles the internal struggle of what it is like to cope with dealing with the grief of losing someone close to you, in Shinoda\u2019s case, his band member, and dear friend, Chester Bennington<\/a><\/strong>, and then running those emotions through a variety of creative outlets as a form of healing. The song itself takes influence from modern indie pop and R&B music, and features vocals with slight delay effects and an instrumental that builds up in diverse layers as the track builds up. In the first chorus is a quatrain where Shinoda passionately sings:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll tell you I don\u2019t care anymore
\nAnd I hope you\u2019ll know that\u2019s a lie
\nCause I\u2019ve found what I have been waiting for
\nBut to get there means crossing a line\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

In the first verse, Shinoda speaks of either completely ignoring all of the fiends that torment him, or instead giving them a voice, using demons as an analog to the layers of grief, confusion and wayward thoughts that assail him.<\/p>\n

Later in the song are the lyrics “This is not a goodbye now, I\u2019m not going away, No I don\u2019t have the answers but I do have the faith<\/i>” which speaks to the fears of his fans and supporters that he could become lost in the echoes of tragedy along with his courageousness, hope and passion for creativity. This is a line where Mike quite literally says that despite the pain, he has faith in himself, and those around him, and he is not going to give up. Ultimately, \u201cCrossing a Line\u201d is a song about by crossing an invisible line which others may feel is a betrayal of your loved ones memory but is instead a method of coming to peace with grief that comes loss, and then finding a balance for healing.<\/p>\n

The bonus track \u201cNothing Makes Sense Anymore\u201d is more similar to recent Parque Linkin<\/a><\/strong> songs, and has a bit more modern rock influences. The song shares similar themes to \u201cCrossing a Line\u201d but where as that song is mainly about healing, this one is more about confusion and being caught in devastation where your reality is usurped by surprise tragedy and the feeling of being lost and helpless, which is graciously demonstrated with songs first verse, where above an instrumental with a resounding reverb effects, Mike Shinoda despondently sings:<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to know where the bottom was
\nSomewhere far under the ocean waves
\nUp on a ledge I was looking down
\nIt was far enough to keep me safe
\nBut the ground was cracked open
\nThrew me in the ocean
\nCast me out away at sea
\nAnd the waves are still breaking
\nNow that I awaken
\nNo one\u2019s left to answer me\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

While it\u2019s up for debate as to which track is actually the better of the two, they\u2019re both great in their own right, and they both convey their message intimately, with lyrics that stay in your head, and pull at your heartstrings.<\/p>\n