Make Out Monday’s Back to the Feeling is a study in emotional tension, balancing the exuberance of pop punk with a reflective 80s alt-pop palette. There’s a cinematic quality here, a sense that the song is as much about atmosphere as it is about melody.
The track emerged from a simple acoustic riff from Seth Renken but quickly expanded into a lush, full-bodied production. Zack Shada’s vocal performance is commanding, his delivery carrying both immediacy and nostalgia with equal weight. The lyrics explore memory and longing, conveying a complex emotional landscape without ever becoming cloying.
Odom and Mount’s production accentuates this duality. Synth textures shimmer behind crisp guitars, while the rhythm section provides propulsion that’s energetic yet restrained. It’s a soundscape that rewards attentive listening, with details that unfold subtly over repeated plays.
Lyrically, the track examines the impossibility of returning to past feelings, yet it refrains from despair. Instead, it finds hope in memory, evoking a bittersweet optimism that feels both grounded and aspirational.
In the context of Make Out Monday’s discography, Back to the Feeling represents a maturation. It’s a track that bridges pop sensibility with introspective ambition, delivering a nostalgic anthem that feels timeless yet pressing in its immediacy.
