Tommy Strauser’s “At Least I’m Moving” is a Song About Embracing Life’s Uncertainties and Reconnecting With Your Own Rhythms

TommyStrauser_AtLeastImMoving2_crop — Tommy Strauser “At Least I’m Moving” cover

If not for the steadily flowing evolving soundscape of “At Least I’m Moving,” the touch of autotune on Tommy Strauser’s processed vocals might have be reminiscent of a lot of modern electronic pop music. But in that context it perfectly suits a song seemingly about uncertainty in life and the pressure to conform to a kind of shallow agenda of personal progress. Strauser’s vocals sit back from that treadmill of dubious and meaningless achievements and takes in the ambient sounds, the aspects of the world that are easy to ignore if you’re in too much of a hurry, impelled by someone else’s agenda at the expense of one’s own. It’s not a song celebrating self-indulgence and empty hedonism. It’s about being patient with yourself and live life at a human pace and not one pushed on to you by a social and economic context that places a premium on efficiency over quality. The line “Maybe I’m not moving fast, but at least I’m moving” illustrates the ethos here of recognizing the need to move forward with your life but while cultivating your humanity and that of others. The myriad of sonic details make the song from Strauser’s creatively produced vocals, the percussion going along at a walking pace, the synth swells, the points of tone shining in the background, the minimal keyboard work abstracted in another layer of melodic mood, the playful synth lines flitting through the song—all build slowly to a climax at the end that feels like you’ve had a chance to take a nap and wake up a little refreshed and not needing to get right to work or some chore. Though not explicitly stated in the words, it is a song about taking the time for yourself and the people and things you care about because it’s all going to matter more than another contribution to the gods of productivity and the culture that surrounds it. Listen to “At Least I’m Moving” on Spotify and connect with Tommy Strauser at the links provided.