The musical project Sentinel Events originated in Florida. It’s the creation of Garrett Janks, a brilliant musician who sought a private way to put his feelings to music. Over time, the project expanded from a private passion into something everyone might enjoy. Unlike many artists nowadays who work on computers, Janks believes in writing music by hand. With local pals he makes a sound that mixes electronic genres with primal rock music. It’s this tradition of doing things himself and focusing on actual human feelings that makes the band’s identity so unique and special.
The new album, titled Comorbidities, is like a mirror of our current existence. It teaches us that being human is complicated, as our issues rarely come in single file. Rather, our mental health, our physical health and the world around us all depend on each other. The album examines how we bear all kinds of burdens at the same time. It asks us to reflect on how we keep strong when the world feels untidy and cold. The core concept is that our lives are a blend of a number of intersecting struggles that define us.
The voyage kicks off with “Comorbidities, The Game!” with John Paul Foronda, Zac Raya and Doug Charles. This tune makes life feel like a game with secret rules. It depicts the feeling of being locked in the loop of doctor’s appointments and debt. In this “game” the only reward you can win is only to stay alive. It highlights the unfortunate fact that society sees suffering as a competition. This section of the album is about being stuck in a maze, where it’s incredibly difficult to find your way out without losing your mind.
Then the music of the song “Dinosaur Juice,” with Morrison, deals with the world we live in, rather than with personal difficulties. It is about how we tap into ancient elements of the planet to power our lives today. It’s deeply ironic that we keep our present civilization going by using the leftovers of a lost world. The song hints that the very things we utilize to grow might really lead to failure in the long run. It’s a sober awareness that our way of life cannot survive forever, that it is based on things that are already gone.
Then Conflicting Motive takes the record to the invisible hazards in the eye in “Bad Radiation.” It is about the hidden powers of our digital world and the ‘noise’ that surrounds us each day. This is not just a matter of physical health, but of how the modern atmosphere can steadily sap our spirits. These forces transform us from the inside. Like a sound buzzing in the background that you ultimately stop noticing. It’s a reminder that some of the biggest risks to our pleasure are the ones that make no noise at all.
There is also a time in the album where the yearning for a safe and calm environment is explored in “Garden of the Gods” with vocals of Elay VanBoer. It asks whether true peace actually exists or whether it’s merely a narrative we tell ourselves so that we feel better. And the music shows us the distance between the ideal of a beautiful, holy location and the harsh reality of being human. It touches on that deep desire we all have for a place to heal, even if we’re worried that such a sanctuary would be locked away or might not exist at all.
The next song, “Florence Nightingale,” featuring Louvenia, addresses the interaction between givers and receivers of care. It looks at how getting “fixed” by others can sometimes feel cold or overwhelming. Sometimes the procedure might make a person feel like they are losing their dignity, even if someone is attempting to help. Here, the album explores the tension between requiring aid to survive and wanting to stay in control of your life and identity.
The album closes with “White Coat Syndrome” with Hesitant Waitress, which examines the terror many people have when they are being watched or assessed by powerful systems. It plays on the nervousness of being at a doctor’s office to symbolize a general mistrust of authority. The music discusses the tension of being treated like a number or a chart, rather than a person. The final message is powerful: probably the most difficult aspect of living today is the pressure to be perceived as a problem to be addressed, rather than a human being simply trying to get by.
But in the end, Comorbidities gives us a very honest glimpse of what it’s like to be alive in the world now. It doesn’t try to give us easy answers or pretend that everything’s perfect. Rather, it celebrates the weighty things we all carry. When the music dies down we are left with the sense that we are all just a collection of varied stories and scars. The album is a great reminder that we are all simply trying to find a little bit of humanity in a very difficult world.
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