From the opening notes of ‘Glorious’, it’s clear Start Forward isn’t interested in easy optimism. Instead, Joshua Sturtevant’s latest single walks a more complex line- one where beauty is bruised, hope is hard-won, and the very idea of glory feels more like survival than celebration.
Pulled from the upcoming ‘Breathing Under Water’ LP, ‘Glorious’ marks a shift in tone without abandoning the emotional rawness that’s defined Sturtevant’s previous work. While earlier releases like ‘Tightrope’ leaned into unease and restraint, ‘Glorious’ stretches wider- both musically and thematically. It doesn’t explode, exactly, but it ascends- slowly, deliberately- as if gathering strength with every passing measure.
Built on layered guitar textures and a rhythm section that pulses like a heartbeat under strain, the track unfolds with a quiet confidence. The production is still homespun- no studio polish here- but it’s purposeful, each element contributing to a rising sense of weight and lift. When the refrain lands, it feels earned, not engineered. This is not anthem by design- it’s anthem by necessity.
Lyrically, Sturtevant treads familiar territory: the aftermath of collapse, the slow crawl toward clarity. Where ‘Tightrope’ hung in a state of fragile equilibrium, ‘Glorious’ dares to reach- even if what it finds is scorched and uncertain. Lines read like both resignation and defiance. And maybe that’s the point.
What makes ‘Glorious’ resonate isn’t some grand sonic breakthrough- it’s the trust it places in the listener. This is music for people who have weathered storms, who understand that rebirth doesn’t come with fireworks but with flickers. The song builds not to catharsis, but to something more grounded: resolve.
As a chapter in ‘Breathing Under Water’, ‘Glorious’ deepens the album’s arc of disintegration and renewal. It doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does suggest there’s value in the process- in holding space for transformation even when it feels unreachable.