▁" t ried ▁doing ▁the ▁wall - of - sound ▁with ▁it ▁and ▁it ▁just ▁kind ▁of ▁ru ined ▁it ... it ▁turned ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁not - so - good ▁Stra pping ▁record ." ▁The ▁album ▁deliber ately ▁es ch ew s ▁the ▁loud ness ▁wars , ▁the ▁recent ▁music ▁industry ▁practice ▁of ▁compet it ively ▁master ing ▁audio ▁to ▁seem ▁as ▁loud ▁as ▁possible . ▁" I ▁officially ▁pull ▁my ▁hat ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁loud ness ▁wars ", ▁Town send ▁told ▁his ▁master ing ▁engineer . ▁The ▁album ' s ▁songs ▁were ▁primarily ▁written ▁in ▁open ▁C ▁tun ing , ▁except ▁for ▁" A ▁Monday ", ▁" Tra inf ire ", ▁and ▁" Dis rupt r " ▁in ▁open ▁B , ▁" He aven ' s ▁End " ▁and ▁" W inter " ▁in ▁open ▁B , ▁and ▁" Q ui et ▁Ri ot " ▁in ▁standard ▁tun ing . ▁Town send ▁has ▁c ited ▁Second ▁Nature ▁by ▁The ▁Young ▁God s , ▁Paul ▁Horn , ▁Ch ants ▁of ▁India ▁by ▁R avi ▁Sh ank ar , ▁and ▁We en ▁as ▁influ ences ▁on ▁the ▁album . ▁ ▁Town send ▁described ▁Ki ▁as ▁both ▁the ▁introduction ▁and ▁the ▁moral ▁to ▁the ▁" lar ger ▁concept " ▁of ▁the ▁De vin ▁Town send ▁Project . ▁The ▁album ' s ▁lyr ical ▁them es ▁explore ▁Town send ' s ▁inner ▁dem ons , ▁past ▁add ict ions , ▁self - accept ance , ▁and ▁his ▁" new found ▁ability ▁to ▁say ▁no ."