After over a decade in a globally successful band, this project reveals a more vulnerable, introspective side to the artist.
The album opens with standout single ‘Don’t Forget You Love Me’, a striking introduction that blends powerful deep vocals with upbeat drums and soft guitar. The track tells a heartfelt story of regret and emotional hindsight. Lyrics like “Instead of lookin’ for a fight / I should’ve looked you in the eyes” and “I wasn’t in the right mind with you” showcase Hood’s ability to reflect with self-awareness. His signature deep tone gives this song a unique texture, setting it apart from typical breakup tracks.
‘Call Me When You Know Better’ continues the narrative, diving deeper into the complexities of heartbreak. It captures the push and pull of emotional conflict, a conversation between anger, hope and self-pity. There's an honesty in the lyrics that makes it feel more like a conversation than a pop song.
Fans were already buzzing before the album dropped, thanks to social media teasers of ‘Sweetdreams’, a track that in its final form reflects Hood's evolving sound and lyrical maturity.
One of the most emotional songs on the album is ‘I Wanted To Stay’, a tribute to his late dog, Duke. It’s raw and intimate with haunting lines like “It grows sicker inside, it grows sicker” and “I love my baby, but I’m fading away / I wanted to stay.” Heavy bass and drums show the emotional weight, making it one of the most gut-wrenching yet beautiful moments on the record.
The artwork shows Hood submerged in a tank of water with only his head above the surface in a powerful visual metaphor. It captures the themes of emotional suffocation and survival that run through the lyrics.
Another fan favorite, ‘Endless Ways’, starts slowly and blooms into an unexpected, almost funky groove. With lines like “Sometimes it takes somebody else to get to know yourself” and a chorus that hooks with “One more dance and one more cry”, it resonates deeply. It’s both a cry for connection and a dance of acceptance.
The album closes with ‘Three Of Swords’, a track named after the tarot card symbolising pain, grief and heartbreak. Fittingly, the song is drenched in emotion, layered with ambient synths and atmospheric drums that create a sense of space and melancholy. It opens with the striking lyric “All of the guilt that I’ve been coughing up”, immediately setting a tone of vulnerability and emotional release. Subsequent lines like “A peaceful life for everything but us” capture the lingering ache of unresolved love. As the final song, it feels like both a conclusion and a confession, a quiet and reflective moment that leaves a lasting impact.
What makes ‘ORDER chaos ORDER’ truly special is the fact nothing feels overproduced or forced. The album is emotionally rich, raw and unapologetically honest. It doesn’t aim to be flawless; it aims to be real. Calum Hood shows that vulnerability is strength, that no one has it all figured out, and that’s a message worth sharing.
