Greta Van Fleet released their delightful debut album “Anthem of the Peaceful Army” Oct. 19, sharing songs of peace, love, unity, new beginnings and revolution.
Although nearly no song was completely new to the world by the time the album was released — with six of the songs having been officially released as singles and the others having been performed in past concerts — every song was a valuable contribution to this work of art that will go down in GVF’s legacy.
I’m a sucker for a grand love song, and my personal favorites from the album include “You’re the One,” in which the band takes a seemingly different direction in both sound and meaning, as well as the funky “Mountain of the Sun.” Additionally, “The New Day” is a refreshing expression of new beginnings and the necessity of love. But really, no song went wrong on “Anthem of the Peaceful Army.”
According to a flood of similar comments on the band’s social media platforms, “Age of Man” was a doozy with most fans, and although the album contains a song titled “Anthem,” “Age of Man” seems to be the true anthem for the entire work.
The day before the album was released GVF challenged fans to complete the “White Rose March” by hiking to a nearby park. Once fans’ mobile locations were shared on march.gretavanfleet.com — a website powered by Mapbox — access to the single “Age of Man” was unlocked.
The White Rose March was appropriate as “Age of Man” explores new beginnings (“March to the anthem of the heart / To a brand new day, a brand new start) and rejuvenation (“And as we came into the clear / To find ourselves where we are here”). The march was a unique way to excite fans for the album.
Aside from the obvious epicness of “When the Curtain Falls’” — pardon my lackadaisicalness, it’s just that it’s three months cold — the track is a fitting addition to GVF’s debut album because it will be a signature song for the band for years to come.
On the same note, “Lover, Leaver” deserves a level of hype similar to “When the Curtain Falls.” The sheer power of lead singer Josh Kiszka’s voice opening the rock tune singing, “Oh my holy lord / Sets my soul on fire / Flames of love and sweet perfume / She’s my hearts desire,” gets the good times rolling.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: “Anthem of the Peaceful Army” is a work of art, meaning it needs to be studied in order to be appreciated. Some songs may not receive initial liking from listeners, but everyone can resonate with the lyrics as they approach big-picture ideas and ask big questions. I have much appreciation for this band that has recently emerged, taking the world by storm with their genuine and meaningful ideas.
“Anthem of the Peaceful Army” is streaming on Apple Music and Spotify and is available for purchase on Google Play and iTunes.




