Between packs of cigarettes and bouts of push-ups in his Brooklyn apartment, Nate Amos was dedicated to his creative commitment of finally writing songs without getting high. A life-changing visit to Stonehenge was the turning point that propelled Amos to quit smoking weed, and he confided in both songwriting and routine as he isolated himself from reality and grappled with recovery. What began as a personal challenge evolved into a collection of around seventy songs that would eventually be refined into Amos’ debut album: Box for Buddy, Box for Star.
Despite having arbitrarily released his solo work as This is Lorelei for years before, Box for Buddy, Box for Star was Amos’ first attempt at creating a conventional record with thematic cohesion and polished production under this name. Overall, the album explores emotional conflicts and self-deprecation through witty yet honest lyricism. Sonically, it takes on a more folk-rock sound with Americana and electronic music influences scattered throughout, contradicting the noisier and more experimental work he is known for as a member of the duo, Water From Your Eyes.
The album’s title track, “Box for Buddy, Box for Star,” touches on some of the record’s central themes of heartbreak and longing over a folksy instrumental. A swing rhythm guitar and a melodic motif akin to a nursery rhyme supplement Amos’ vocal harmonies, sonically resembling the likes of an Alex G track. “Angel’s Eye” and “Two Legs” have a similar acoustic twang paired with candid songwriting, as Amos openly copes with loss in “Angel’s Eye” through eulogy-like lyricism and proclaims his willingness to give up anything for someone in “Two Legs.” Through these experiences with the double-edged nature of love, Amos is seemingly aware of the hurt that accompanies partnership, yet he continues to find himself in desperate pursuit of that connection.

“Where’s Your Love Now” similarly finds Amos reflecting on broken relationships as he questions his former love’s compassion toward him. To the tune of a plucky music box and the accompaniment of some strings, Amos validates his own emotions while also addressing his fallback to self-destructive drinking habits following the relationship’s dissolution. Despite these lived pains of heartbreak, Amos again indicates his struggle to look beyond idealized partnerships and lingering memories in “A Song That Sings About You.” The dreamlike feel of the instrumental complements the inner monologue-esque lyricism that casually romanticizes his lost relationship. On top of this, lines such as “I just got off an aeroplane / I said Jesus Christ, not this again” help further to characterize Amos’ uniquely unserious and frank songwriting style.
“Perfect Hand” and “My Boy Limbo” are two of the less instrumentally flashy tracks on the record, but lyrically, both play into the metaphorical concept of a hand. In “Perfect Hand,” Amos compares the moments of clarity during the confusion of a budding relationship to that of an ideally dealt hand, whereas “My Boy Limbo” outlines the feeling of regret after letting a previous love slip out of his hands. This wordplay continues on the track “Dancing in the Club” as well, with Amos sprinkling in playing card references and mentioning how he does not want to pull his hand from the figurative card game that is this person’s love. Sonically, this track features tastefully auto-tuned vocals overtop a swiftly moving pop instrumental, differentiating entirely from the largely folk-rock influences of the rest of the album.
Returning to a more upbeat and rock approach, “I’m All Fucked Up” strings together a series of anecdotes from a trip to Madrid, recounting the experiences Amos shared with his short-lived Spanish romance. He self-loathingly expresses his shock that someone would want to be with someone like him, judging this partner’s decision to do so throughout the chorus by proclaiming, “You know some people’d wanna go / Yeah, they’d wanna run away / But you’re all fucked up and you wanna stay here with me.” Vocally, Amos seemingly takes a page from MJ Lendermen’s style with his nonchalant and practically spoken delivery throughout this track. Backed by a similarly quick tempo and fast-paced guitar strumming, “An Extra Beat for You and Me” conclusively reaches the record’s point of catharsis. In its self-referential chorus, Amos exclaims, “Here’s a beat for you and me / From a heart that made it out somehow,” alluding to his hope that his music is equally as comforting to the listener as it is to himself. Within a tracklist of otherwise pessimistic lyricism, Amos’ reminders about the importance of personal freedom and the fleeting nature of even life’s most difficult moments provide a welcomed sense of comfort and relief to close the album.
Despite its release in June of 2024, it was not until a few months after that I first came across Box for Buddy, Box for Star. There is a certain charm about the shorter days and colder weather of the fall and winter seasons that make me gravitate to more folksy music, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover a new record that fell under this unique intersection of pop, rock, and folk. Given how this record resonated, perhaps Amos should consider another trip to Stonehenge to inspire his next bout of songwriting. Having seen the monument myself, I get where he is coming from.
