Album Review
Music Review: HeIsTheArtist’s “Sympathy Sonata (Rock Rhapsody)”
Contemporary Christian R&B artist HeIsTheArtist is making waves yet again with his new jazz-rock single, “Sympathy Sonata (Rock Rhapsody).” Scheduled to be released on May 24th, 2024, the track is a part of his upcoming rock album set for release later this year.
HeIsTheArtist, renowned for his unique melding of Christian R&B with modern melodies and rhythms, continues to delve deeper into his craft with this single. Inspired by the legendary Queen song “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Sympathy Sonata (Rock Rhapsody)” explores self-reflection themes and the conflict between self-pity and the need for personal growth and healing.
From the opening lines, the song is suffused with raw emotion. It resonates with the listener’s profound lyrical depth, drawing from the melancholic line “I’m just a poor boy, I need no sympathy” from Queen’s masterpiece.
The lyrics reflect a day in the life of someone wrestling with internal struggles – a universal experience made even more relatable through the artist’s venturous exploration of his sound. The song encapsulates the spectrum of human emotion, from sorrow and frustration to fatigue and resilience.
HeIsTheArtist’s vocal delivery is both powerful and sensitive. The pitch and tone convey the song’s core sentiment, making each word feel personal and affecting.
In an interview, HeIsTheArtist revealed that this song is intended to promote self-reflection in listeners, especially during times when falling into a state of self-pity seems easier than facing the problem and healing from it. This intention is beautifully captured throughout the track.
His commitment to maintaining his faith’s message is revealed in his music, giving it an additional layer of depth and making it a source of strength and solace for many listeners.
“Sympathy Sonata (Rock Rhapsody)” is a testament to HeIsTheArtist’s continued growth as an artist and his exploration of broader musical themes while remaining grounded in his Christian roots. The upcoming release of his full-length rock EP, as hinted by the artist, will undoubtedly continue this trend.
In a world where superficiality often dominates, HeIsTheArtist’s earnest exploration of human emotion and spiritual themes serves as a breath of fresh air. His music reaches out, offering understanding and solace in turbulent times. “Sympathy Sonata (Rock Rhapsody)” is a splendid addition to his discography and an exciting hint at what’s to come in his forthcoming rock album.
For more on HeIsTheArtist and his music, visit his website at [www.artistecard.com/heistheartist](http://www.artistecard.com/heistheartist)
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Gitkin unveils an afro-latin blues with sonic psychedelia in his recent Album “Golden Age”
The undisputed king of modern cumbia and master of genre fusion, Brian J. Gitkin, unveils his latest 10-track masterpiece, “Golden Age,” released under Wonderwheel Recordings. This wordless sonic adventure transcends borders, featuring a guest appearance by multi-instrumentalist and producer Assaf Spector, delivering thrilling depths of Afro-Latin, desert rock, and blues with heavy doses of psychedelia. Rooted in the musical heartbeat of New Orleans, “Golden Age” offers a mesmerizing exploration of culture, rhythm, and electric guitar brilliance. This primarily instrumental experience enthralls audiences from start to finish.
Gitkin, a New Orleans-based multi-instrumentalist, channels the rhythmic soul of the Crescent City through the hypnotic twang of his signature Silvertone guitar. The album commences with the dynamic title track, “High Noon,” setting the tone for its adventurous spirit, a far-reaching sound exploration. Fans are treated to a dazzling mix of intoxicating African and Latin American influences, spiced with the desert rock of Mali and the electrified chicha style of Peru.
The second track, “Cumbia-ya,” exudes celebration with its infectious beats as the album continues to break boundaries with “Delta Mystic,” along with “Iced Coffee” and “Go Time,” the 5th composition featuring the expertise of Simon Moushabeck on the keyboard and Washington Duke on drums, which seamlessly blends jazz, funk, and Afro-American Mardi Gras roots into a jubilant groove.
Subsequently, “The One,” the eighth track, presents a hypnotic blend of classic Sudanese influences, Tuareg-style guitars, and Black Sabbath-inspired heaviness. The composition is propelled forward by a Giorgio Moroder-esque bassline, combining ’70s disco energy with soulful guitar motifs, showcasing Gitkin’s versatility and fearless approach to creating fresh, boundary-pushing music. The album’s standout track, “Tall Oaks Drive,” takes listeners on a cosmic ride with its psychedelic sitar riffs and melodic cinematic atmosphere reminiscent of a vintage spy thriller. The album concludes with the soul-stirring final track, “Golden Age,” providing a sense of closure and triumph.
Throughout “Golden Age,” Gitkin’s guitar melodies convey stories without words, evoking emotions of contemplation, joy, and spiritual upliftment. His ability to weave together global sounds with New Orleans’ rich musical heritage establishes him as a visionary in the global music scene. This album is essential for fans seeking adventurous, deeply reflective, and genre-defying sonic experiences.
For more information about Gitkin, please visit [website].
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Album Review
Never Heavy Releases “Never Heavy Is One Full of Light”
Steve Alex’s new album is Never Heavy Is One Full of Light. The former frontman of the nineties alt-rock band Four Star Riot has forgone excess production value for a simpler, much more acoustic touch. The album skews the distinctly modern with the excess throwback, something decidedly in for the last couple of years because of romanticization of the past.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/neverheavy
It could be the sixties, with the sexual revolution fashion and counter-cultural zeist, the seventies being the era of the singer-songwriter juggernauts, when the maestro of the excess confessional was sexiest person of the year. “Never Heavy Is One Full of Light” skews the latter excessively, literally starting with the title, down to the lyrics Alex has written for each track. The album also reflects the era because of the fact each song is a story, all thematically linked, with beginnings middles and ends. The other thing very much a welcome throwback is how personal Alex makes each song, feeling like a vulnerable creative expression.
What makes the album as a whole compete aside from nostalgia is the assuredness with which Alex performs each track. It’s unusual to feel like an artist has their own material on lock, there naturally being hits and misses throughout the course of their career, even their own, individual releases. I’m pleased to say Mr. Alex never falls into any traps on that front. The album is insanely consistent, maddeningly so. I would have liked to see a few cracks here and there, but all in all it’s a solid and entirely immersive achievement.
There’s a visceral quality to each of the tracks, something deeply gripping not just about the music itself but the stories it tells. Storytelling is the lost art of songwriting, much like poetry it’s about speaking to the heart in addition to the mind, conjuring immersive emotive experiences not easily dismissible even when it ends. A lot of this in Alex’s case likely points back to his experiences as rock frontman for Four Star Riot. It’s clear he’s carried this over to “Never Heavy Is One Full of Light,” once stating in an article with V13 Media: “The stage is a great leveler. It is the true yard-stick by which an artist can be measured.”
In the same article, Alex was quoted as saying, “The only reason to be in a rock band is to play live, period…The energy that is given during the show between the band and the audience is the most exhilarating thing I know. It’s fun as well as emotional, but I guess the best part is the danger. My Pseudo-dance and swagger has in the past, produced sprained ankles and bloody puncture wounds. Y’know, the possibility that at any moment the whole thing can fall apart, but that is the beauty of live performances, it’s here, then it’s gone and on to the next song.”
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/never-heavy/1492197159
He carries this mentality to the soft rock nature of his independent release. In many ways, the aforementioned sentiments have never proven more relevant. People crave connectivity in this era, with polls regularly pointing out depression, isolation, and a lack of social cohesion are at record highs. It’s nice to see someone turn back the hands of time on that front, if just a little bit, reminding us about everything that works outside of the corporate-controlled, digitally enhanced world of the top forty still has it.
Loren Sperry