Madame Psychosis brings awareness to Mental Health Awareness Month with their latest single Charlie’s Story. This track is perhaps the closest the band has gone to making a rock-opera number. The story follows Charlie, who finds himself at the brink of sanity and is threatening to end it all. The rolling bass and rumbling drums illustrate the inner turmoil that our main character is in. At the midpoint the song develops even further to bring in a new perspective. Charlie hesitates for a moment, remembering his wife Betty. The song glows into a refreshing major key, a momentary exhalation that attempts to break the frenzy.
Betty’s verse then comes in and calms down the atmosphere, but only for a brief respite. Not long after, the frenzy returns as she breaks down and it’s revealed that she’s bearing demons of her own. This two-part perspective is heartbreaking, and the band executed it well by introducing clever twists and turns with their agile composition. What better way to illustrate the reality of mental health?
Madame Psychosis really hit it out of the park with this evocative and heart-wrenching tale. They’ve created art that helps advance our understanding of mental health. There is still a lot of work to do, but listening to Charlie’s Story is a step forward to better days.