By Allesandro Rotondi

“This Time Around” opens with a somber yet mystical chord cycle that encircles itself in the opening four bars. Jessica Pratt’s voice eases into the guitar strumming, like the songbird she sings about slowing its flight into a landing. Pratt sings softly to the major seventh chords that encompass the song and provide its reflective atmosphere. Pratt uses these chords effectively throughout the song, and it’s often considered one of the dreamiest chord qualities due to its open sounding interval construction. The major seventh chord contains the farthest interval of unique notes, before repeating the same note again as an octave, or perfect eighth. Because of this, the sound is always reaching up, and never quite arriving. This is the reason for the reflective and longing nature of the chord, and likely the reason Pratt made it the primary chord choice on her palette of desired sounds.

Pratt’s major seventh chord strumming repeatedly spins like a merry-go-round, encircling itself in a seemingly endless way. That is, until the resolution that presents itself in the chorus. The chorus hits hard, as she inverts the chord progression of the verses backwards, and resolves beautifully into another major seventh chord in the root of the home key. Pratt sings “I don’t wanna find that I’ve been in marching under the crueler side of the fight”, answering the reflective music with a lyrical theme of reaching for conclusions. But more specifically, it’s Pratt’s apprehensions as to whether or not she’s prepared to hear them. This song hits home for obvious reasons—no one is ever prepared for less than ideal but inevitable conclusions to life’s many challenges. Much like Pratt, it makes me want to cry. This time around, we have a chance to avoid them again, or face them. After all, there are only so many times around in life.