The secret optimism of the depressive Eyedea And Abilities

There’s no question that St. Paul’s Eyedea And Abilities make strikingly “different” hip-hop. The duo made self-flagellating rap well before Kanye West took it all electro, and on By The Throat, E&A’s first album in five years, the group delves even further into the darker aspects of human existence. However, the record also sounds as if the duo is concealing a hopefulness that would make Obama seem downright pessimistic by comparison. To make sure you properly battle your demons before their Friday, Dec. 4 show at the Varsity, The A.V. Club takes a look at the brighter side of E&A’s seemingly depressing tunes. 

Song: “Spin Cycle”
Why it seems depressing: Some significant baggage weighs this guitar-fueled song about long-lost significant others/friends: “You lost your glow in the glitter and the gold / I couldn’t stay alive inside your choke hold.” Ouch.
Why it’s actually optimistic: Consider it the long lost, rap-lovin’ cousin of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.” The chorus of these two tunes seem to match up quite well: “You won’t spin my head around / You won’t take this one from me,” which is like an angsty, almost defensive interpretation of a line like “I’m so moving on, yeah yeah.” Eyedea’s character isn’t nostalgic for a lost love or embittered, but empowered by his experiences. 

Song: “Smile”
Why it seems depressing: The trip-hop-flavored tune describes the dreary existence of abandoned children, a society that survives by taking advantage of the voiceless, and the irony of detached political-protest sloganeering. There’s nothing quite as sad as someone who has “never been held in anyone’s arms.” A tribute to Neverland this ain’t.
Why it’s actually optimistic: Despite the agony dripping from every word, Eyedea’s protagonist realizes that even horrible pain can bind people together. That compassion is a rare gift, which allows our hero to “see every second as heaven, even though they’re perfectly disguised as hell.” Also, the song is called “Smile,” so it has that going for it. 

Song: “Burn Fetish”
Why it seems depressing: Sadomasochism may not be the most common expression of love, but it usually involves passion. That's not the case in “Burn Fetish,” where the protagonist hates himself so much that torture barely registers. The song's dark, synth-driven instrumental passage may be its cheeriest part.
Why it’s actually optimistic: Stories about people submitting to their vices are a dime a dozen in pop music, but E&A evade the pitfalls of cliché by looking at the bright side of fetish culture. Although the activities may seem inhumane, the highs that come from the pain make regular life bearable. For all of E&A's characters, the worst circumstances can still create simple pleasures.