I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and the longer I’ve sat with it the more uncomfortable I feel about the lyrics in Thirteenth Step.

I’ve loved the music on the album ever since I first heard it, and A Perfect Circle have been one of my favourite bands since I was a teenager. But the older I get, the more I hear a cruelty and vindictiveness in Maynard’s lyrics on this album.

In the context of the album’s theme of addiction and recovery, the lyrics of songs like The Outsider don’t sit comfortably with me. It’s something I’ve noticed more and more with Maynard’s lyrics in general: they’re often about his disappointment in other people, his judgement of them. On an album about addiction and recovery, there doesn’t feel like there’s much empathy or compassion.

I think I’m falling out of love with Thirteenth Step.