“Karaoke” is the opening track to artist Roy Blair’s second studio album, Chasing Moving Trains. Throughout the album, Blair jumps from past, present, to future, exploring the uncertainty of adulthood. This is quite the contrast from his previous album, which was a retrospective portrayal of his childhood, including how he had to move on from his past. Chasing Moving Trains picks up on Blair’s life, and shares the many experiences of his adult life so far.

Blair is nothing short of masterful at creating an album larger than music. Rather than something to simply enjoy listening to, his elaborate world-building creates a relatable yet new perspective for listeners. On the surface, his music is mostly grounded. However, his experiences demonstrate learning, growth, and life lessons. Blair’s ability to fuse dimensions of relatability with brand-new insights makes his music timeless. It allows listeners to develop new meanings over time, bringing his art beyond audio.

Of course, his lyrics play a large part in his craft. As the first track of the album, “Karaoke” is all about setting the scene of Chasing Moving Trains. One of his primary methods for building the set of the album is through his lyrics.

My analog telephone
System is overblown
Your lightning running all over me

In these lines, Blair uses a metaphor of a telephone and lightning to represent his obsession with someone, possibly a lover. The telephone itself represents communication. Lightning running over him is used as a metaphor for the feeling of electricity/chemistry between two people. Feeling overwhelmed, Blair says his system is overblown by the lightning, AKA his love. The combination of a telephone’s communication and lightning’s vibrant emotions show the listener that he’s feeling strong emotions about somebody. In later songs, he talks about what I assume to be the same lover, and discusses about the lessons he learns from the relationship. These lyrics serve to introduce that theme through a metaphor.

Destinations, we’d soon arrive
Miami nights, put it in drive (Oh, yeah)
Hit 85, playing Celine Dion

As mentioned in the title of the album, transportation and destination is a focal point of the album. The entire work of art is incredibly dynamic despite its variety of music styles showcased. Blended together through song-to-song transitions, the expert use of strings, sound effects, and various instruments, it’s no surprise that the lyrics reflect the flowing nature of Chasing Moving Trains. Blair introduces to this motif by mentioning his drive in Miami, which is continued throughout the album. Additionally, his mention of music creates a familiar dynamic to the reader, assuming they listen to music in the car. Essentially, the lyrics create a comfortable and familiar space for the reader to relax and enjoy the rest of the album.

Stop on the interstate
Staring out, not a soul around
Stick our hands out the window and count it down
Feel that north Miami wind on our fingertips

In these lyrics, Blair paints a picture of his drive in Miami using elaborate imagery, also reinforcing the motif of transportation. He describes Miami as warm, empty, and talks about putting his hand out the window. By setting the scene of the album in Miami, it shows warmth and welcoming, perfect for an opening track. Additionally, by choosing Miami, Blair represents that he is no longer a kid. Miami is a city where primarily adults visit, showing that he has grown into an adult since his last album. This creates a fresh perspective, and reminds the listeners that this album is a new and unique experience, creating a blank slate for listeners to enjoy. This sets the preface for the album, as it’s about the awkwardness of his early adulthood.

I believe through his intricate lyrics in “Karaoke,” it is evident that Roy Blair is definitely a poet, as his detailed writing goes deep beyond language, conveying feelings, emotions, and experiences within both readers and listeners. Even through it’s a short song with minimal lyrics, Blair completely sets the scene for what is an incredibly dynamic album, absorbing the listener into a brand new experience, mainly through the use of his poetry.