"To You, After 2000 Years" by Customer Service (Review)

I am insanely thrilled to be discussing the brand new Customer Service EP today; I have become a somewhat recent fan of the band when I first discovered the music video for their song "Dennis", released on June 7th, 2024, off of their first EP "Live More Forever" released on February 23rd, 2024.  Customer Service is a Canadian band from Halifax, Nova Scotia, consisting of four members:

Owen Harris- Drums

Max Hayden- Guitar

Matt Cheverie- Vocals

Nick Adams- Bass

They are absolutely crushing the game, making huge waves in the emo music scene.  I am happy to report that I own both of their EPs on vinyl, and I am so, so, so excited to cover "To You, After 2000 Years" by Customer Service, released on February 14th, 2025. 

this is the best night of my life!: 

The first track off this EP came out with a music video upon release day, and is definitely worth a watch.  It's a short one, just shy of two minutes long, but it starts right off the bat with a smack from all the instruments as the vocals jump in just a beat later.  "You're going back to school tomorrow, I'm folding all the things I borrowed" are the first lyrics of the track, immediately there is devastation for the narrator as someone close to them is leaving, geographically as well as a possible pull back emotionally.  I love these opening lyrics because it sets the scene as well as tells us so much in so few words.  Specifically the mention of folding borrowed things, there is passion, thoughtfulness, and carefulness in this action; dedicating time to nicely packing things up for someone opposed to throwing everything haphazardly into a box with no rhyme or reason.  Clearly these items have sentimental value to the narrator, presumably also to the person who shared them.  Throughout Customer Service's discography, there are many themes revolving around change and the difficulties that come with growth; a lot of times there are metaphors of weather and seasons to convey the passage of time, specifically using the dichotomy between the warmth and comfort of summer with the cold isolation of winter.  

"I walked across the field of grass we’d take to class as it turned to snow

to let me know

that summer’s passed

it feels like nothing lasts" 

The singer feels stuck in this repetition and their habitual nature of walking the same paths, reminiscing of what once was, but simultaneously being smacked in the face by the reality that everyone and everything else is moving on.  The chorus drops in hard with a build-up of instruments and belts out

"I'm waiting for you to come home

can’t take another night being trapped inside

but I know there’s no place like" 

There is a perpetual sense of longing, sitting around and trying to hold out for the return of a loved one whereas the irony of the situation is that waiting around will only take them further and further from the past reality they're hoping to obtain again.  I think there are layers to the phrase "trapped inside", on one hand it could be literal, stuck inside due to something like a snow storm or whatever else.  It could also be emotional, trapped inside their mind, possibly even nostalgic, trapped in the memories of a time long gone.  Most likely, the meaning is some combination of everything.  I also think there is something to be said about the references to "home".  Of course there is the universal phrase "home is where the heart is", the narrator could be waiting for someone to come "home", meaning that they hope for that someone to return to them, where they are loved, cherished, appreciated, needed, and wanted.  The final line of this first chorus is cut short with a bit of a twist; when we expect "there's no place like home" we actually cut straight to the second verse, suggesting a continuation of the last line with "there's no place like...sitting on your porch".  As the verse continues with 

"pretending you still care

I'd go upstairs like nothing’s changed

you feel the same

and you’re still there" 

it feels almost as if there is a collage of memories, trauma, and fantasy all wrapped up into one big bundle of unreliable or warped perceptions.  The chorus repeats twice for the finale, but instead of being copied and pasted versions of itself, each chorus is performed differently which is a big plus.  The words are familiar and catchy and become easy to remember, but changing the way they are presented is a great way to prevent redundancy.  The second chorus picks up immediately after the verse ends and keeps progressing the momentum.  In between the final two choruses, there is a quick pause to catch your breath and appreciate the incredible instrumentation that stands out and shows some variety of talent.  The ending chorus starts off with a ringing out single guitar strum, some steady cymbal hits, and then a huge build up as all the instruments work together and create a wall of sound with one final "but I know there's no place like..." that is amplified by the following pause before everything kicks back in at full throttle as the lyrics "home.  There's no place like home" are belted and screamed with intense rawness that really show how they can utilize the staple of emo angst.  The instruments end suddenly as the sound of an audience cheering fades in.  The final words of the song are "Thank you, this next song is called 'and it feels'. " which is such a fun and clever way to lead us right into our second track. 

and it feels:

Track two, "and it feels", was the first and only single off of this EP, originally released on January 15th along with a music video.  A quick side-quest before I jump into the specifics of this song: something so great about these music videos is you really get to see the band interact with each other and so much of their individual personalities are on display, it is so obvious that they're all good friends that love having fun and goofing off together, it's really heartwarming.  This song starts off with the titular lyrics "and it feels" and crunchy, palm-muted guitar.  The opening stanza goes as follows: 

"and it feels like you’ve been gone for forever

won’t you tell me about the weather back home?

I often wonder if you’d even remember

what it felt like in late November

on the first day when it snowed" 

Right when the word "weather" is sung, there's a very subtle, easily missed, high note jingle on guitar.  I love these little details the band incorporates; I think most people probably wouldn't notice it's there but even without a direct acknowledgement, it still does something to us subconsciously as we're listening. Like I've said previously, there is a serious importance to the themes and metaphors of weather on this EP.  I honestly would have loved for this to have been released in November or December because it gives the perfect vibe for winter depression, driving around in the snow after dark.  However, having said that, Valentine's day was also a great pick considering the amount of yearning for someone that is mentioned throughout this release.  Where I live, there is still snow well into February and usually a bit in March too, and I'm sure that the band will be dealing with the dark weather for quite awhile up in Canada.  Leading into the chorus, there is a build up of instruments (this band loves a build up, and I'm here for it) into a couple muted chugs from the guitar right before the vocals kick back in.  Every other line of the chorus is broken up between clean vocals and gang vocals, and I have to say that these are some of my favorite gang vocals of all time.  Some gang vocals tend to get muffled and hard to understand, but these are mixed so well and enunciation properly that there's really no mistaking what they are singing.  It also really helps that I absolutely adore the lyrics being yelled, "you’ve got a problem with problems and I can’t relate" and "but I could waste the day counting the freckles on your face".  The concept of having a "problem with problems" is so silly and unique, and I love the idea of counting freckles to convey attachment and dedication to loving someone's intricacies and small details.  The chorus ends as a catchy riff repeats a few times and some "WOAH"s from the gang vocals accent the instruments.  There is a release of tension and build up as the bridge arrives with a VERY midwest-emo sounding lead guitar, à la Hot Mulligan, and the same palm-muted guitar from the opening.  The lyrics 

"I should’ve stayed when you’d asked me to

my bed’s too big without you" 

repeat four times, each time with more passion and a return of the gang vocals.  What I find interesting about this song is it almost seems like a complete opposite perspective from the previous; "this is the best night of my life!" is all about struggling to come to terms with someone leaving and the life changes that entails, whereas this song is, primarily, from the perspective of someone who has left and changed.  There is definitely a bit of regret in the decision to have left, but I still think it's fascinating to see these two angles of a similar situation.  The bridge ends with no instruments and solo vocals yelling "my bed’s too big without you" for the last time and the chorus comes in once again, making sure to implant itself firmly in your ears until it's stuck in your head.  This song was definitely a smart choice to be released as a single.  

bury me on vernon street: 

The final song on this EP is an acoustic track that is straight out of the handbook of the band Mom Jeans., definitely taking inspiration from songs like "Vape Nation", "Scott Pilgrim vs. My GPA" and maybe even "Now THIS is Podracing".  I'm an avid supporter of having the final track be the saddest song on the release, and you could maybe assume this one is because of the acoustic base, but I actually think this song is really cute and sweet. It's ultimately a love letter to their friends and it's super endearing.  The song starts off with some chatting in the background from a group of people as the simplistic acoustic guitar strums lightly, and the first words of the song are "I just wanna tell my friends how lucky I feel just to know them" which is so wholesome and adorable.  The full stanza is 

"I just wanna tell my friends

how lucky I feel just to know them

when they let me lay out my emotional turmoil

while forcing a weak smile

and trying to grapple with things that are out of my hands

but stuck in my head

can we just pretend

we’re road tripping again?" 

which conveys a sense of struggling with their own vulnerability, especially as it relates to their relationships, platonically (and probably romantic relationships as well).  The narrator has found a good support group of people that don't feel inconvenienced or burdened by this person when they're feeling down and going through hardships, no matter how miniscule it might seem, all they want to do is boost up a friend in need.  Lyrically, there is not a ton of changes, but the depth of the words spoken are very impactful.  The following stanza repeats three times until the song ends: 

"Don’t look back through the rear view

'cause I’m in the back seat with tear stains on my cheeks

I’m not as strong as I wanna be

now that you know me I hope you’ll still love me the same" 

Which further displays the internal struggle to let people in and share the softer and more emotional sides of themselves, admitting that they wish they were strong enough to not need to lean on their friends so heavily, and now that the can of worms has been opened, hoping that their friends won't view them differently.  I think it's so important for, especially men, to be more vulnerable with their loved ones opposed to bottling everything up in order to appear strong and stoic, and I think this song really captures the importance as well as the internal conflict of someone who is deciding to do so.  It's always so tough for people to share every angle and facet of themselves; especially in recent years now that "trauma-dumping" is such a buzzword, people are more and more hesitant to share personal details about how they are struggling emotionally.  This song feels like it would fit in perfectly in a "Stand By Me"-esque coming-of-age movie.  Musically, there is an emotional crescendo that is a poignant display of the main theme in this song; as the same lyrics repeat, more and more people join in to sing the words together, building  a sense of community and suggesting that everyone is lending a helping hand, metaphorically and literally.  There is even a nice inclusion of trumpet, played by Chris Cheverie, on the latter half of the song that follows the vocal melody in unison. A nice touch that helps the emotional swell and impact of the lyrics, and let's be honest, brass instruments are OBLIGATED to appear in midwest-emo songs like this one.  There is also the mandatory "ba ba ba"s and "da da da"s belted by a choir of friends periodically throughout the song. This track, and EP, end with the sound of friends laughing and goofing off, a great conclusion to a heartfelt song about friendship.  

I'll confess, I'm not a viewer of anime or reader of manga, so I had to Google the meaning of this EP's title. "To You, After 2000 Years" is a reference to Attack on Titan, and according to my research, it is about the main character hoping for a better future as they are currently struggling with cyclical, oppressive patterns.  The phrase also suggests a wish to share lifelong experiences with someone in the future, allowing them to learn from past mistakes, hoping to leave the world better for future generations.  I really love this EP, as well as everything Customer Service has previously released, and I am so excited to watch them grow and develop and hopefully continue to create great art.  I am so grateful to the members of Customer Service for working with me and allowing me the honor to cover their brand new EP, this is genuinely such a huge deal to me.  I hope you all leave this article and immediately do a deep dive on their music, and you can do so by checking out their links HERE!

(https://linktr.ee/customerserviceisaband)