I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and the longer I’ve sat with it the more uncomfortable I feel about the lyrics in Thirteenth Step.
I’ve loved the music on the album ever since I first heard it, and A Perfect Circle have been one of my favourite bands since I was a teenager. But the older I get, the more I hear a cruelty and vindictiveness in Maynard’s lyrics on this album.
In the context of the album’s theme of addiction and recovery, the lyrics of songs like The Outsider don’t sit comfortably with me. It’s something I’ve noticed more and more with Maynard’s lyrics in general: they’re often about his disappointment in other people, his judgement of them. On an album about addiction and recovery, there doesn’t feel like there’s much empathy or compassion.
I think I’m falling out of love with Thirteenth Step.
A lot of the lyrics on Thirteenth Step feel like they come from a place of judgement and cynicism at an addict’s recovery. I get it’s a concept album, and this is Maynard’s take on the issue as he experiences it. But the more I listen to it the more I realise I don’t relate to it at all. So I feel like I’m saying goodbye to an album that I used to enjoy musically.
It’s not uncommon to outgrow artists and things we like. Good for you for recognizing why.