The 400 Project

The Home Inside My Head is a much more complex album than the guitar riffs and catchy lyrics would lead you to believe. On the surface this is a great punk album, but underneath lies a deep look into what being human can mean to different people.

What makes this a great punk album is the energy in every song. Real Friends plays hard and loud and pulls the listener in with catchy melodies that will get stuck in your head. Every song has a hook built in to drive you though to the next verse. The Starting Line would be a great comparison. This is the type of energy that is amazing to see bring a crowd to life at a show.

“The home inside my head has a bed for me
That no one will ever get the chance to see”

If you go below the surface you find that this album features a social commentary on human interaction in many different forms. There is a great comparison here between being alone and learning how that fits into a life surrounded by people. Shining a light on that issue is where The Home Inside My Head really excels. Take a closer look at some of the songs:

Empty Picture Frames is the focal point of the whole album. The lyrics feature the album name and gravitate around the comfort some people find in being alone. Some of us struggle to connect with others and this song speaks to the fact that there is nothing wrong with that. The lyrics convey that being alone isn’t a negative thing, if you feel at home there. Plenty of people are not comfortable in their own skin, so there is strength in the ability to happily be all by yourself.

Keep Lying Next To Me takes another angle on connecting with others. The song talks about living with someone but not wanting to be with them and wondering if you would be better alone. Our society teaches us that you have to find someone to spend your life with. Because of this a lot of times people fall into a trap of having a partner just to have them there. Love falls away and you are left just going through the motions. These lyrics speak to realizing that you need to be alone so you can grow and find something more, and that you don’t NEED to be with someone at all if that isn’t what makes you happy.

Door Without a Key is about dealing with letting those people that you care about down, because you are unable to open up. Its an internal loneliness that a lot of people struggle with. Opening up to people (on some level) is something that everyone can relate to. Some find it hard to share personal details, while others struggle with connecting in general. This song speaks to the fact that everyone has things that they are unable/willing to communicate to others, and how that can cause rifts in your relationships.

“My hands are numb because it’s getting colder quicker
You need more warmth than I provide
If only my skin were thicker
I wouldn’t feel the need to hide”

Its a really interesting topic to explore, human connection being one of the most difficult to understand and challenging to navigate things we do on a daily basis. That coupled with Real Friends’ thoughts on learning to be on your own (and being comfortable with that) leaves a lot to be taken away from each song.

I could dive into the power in this album is all day, but when it comes to it, this is just really great music. I could happily listen to the album any day just to enjoy it for the amazing punk music that it is. This an album you could play loud on your drive home, or listen to closely to get through a hard day. That is why I would recommend this to anyone.

Check out the bands site to find out more about this and the rest of the albums in their catalogue. What do you think about Real Friends? Do you agree with their thoughts on human interaction? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!