This album starts off with “whisper”, and right off the bat I love how whimsical and airy this one is. From the playful and sweet instrumental, to the very charming and smooth vocals of Josiah, this one has a lot to love right off the bat. This is already much more vast than his early recordings. But Josiah seems just so hidden by it all still, like he’s very shrouded in mystery. But the very bold vocals and harmonies here really help him come out into the spotlight, which is what music should really be about. “whisper” very quickly becomes a very grand, epic, cosmic Pop masterpiece. And lyrically, this is just as longing and heartbreaking as his early work. Now, one thing that’s crossed over wonderfully from the early days of serpentwithfeet is that massive, hulking production. I can honestly also see a lot of FKA Twigs fans being into this album. Now, “messy” isn’t as grand or epic, but it’s just as out there and impactful, and continues to have Josiah completely beyond everyone else in these genres. But for me, this one does fall a little short, only a little, mostly because of how catchy the intro to this album is. But Josiah’s performance is still jaw-dropping, and the imagery is absolutely incredible. On the other hand, “wrong tree” is instantly flooring. I love how dramatic these synths are, they’re practically campy. But Josiah’s very soulful performance totally makes it easier to swallow here. There are a lot of biblical references, which gives this album a very cinematic feel to it, which makes it a whole lot more powerful. But there’s almost always a sense of longing, a sense of lust, a want to be loved so damn much that it really makes Josiah’s character so human. And his vocals on top of all of that are absolutely flooring. “fragrant” up next right off the bat is just so impactful. From that opening line of kissing his lovers ex-boyfriends to see if they still carried his fragrance is a wild though> The narrative of this one in general is just so wild. Alongside of this truly off-kilter instrumental and strange beat, makes “fragrant” one hell of a track. There continues to be a great sorrow in the music of serpentwithfeet, as he talks about how his lover doesn’t come around, so he has to seek love in other places, i.e. his ex-boyfriends. It’s pretty stunning stuff.
Now, a LOT of the early themes of sepentwithfeet’s music carry over as well, and that’s made insanely clear on tracks like “mourning song”. Here we have Josiah worrying about a wide array of topics, like his voice being too deep. But just how haunting this one is makes it the most memorable, because this track is chilling. Josiah is just so filled with sorry, but so much of it can be felt by anyone, any gender, any sexual preference, or anything else in between. He fears how he looks, he doesn’t want to feel small, little things we all have felt. And the way that Josiah wraps this all up in this wildly eclectic package is brilliant. Then we have “cherubim”, arguably the most soulful track here. I may just be the most terrifying and bizarre soul track you’ll hear this year, but it’s still soulful damnit. The biblical reference also continue in a big way, and it really have to say it just adds so much, and makes the music of serpentwithfeet almost surreal. Devotion, worship, it’s all a very interesting way to look at an relationship, and so different than everything else I’ve heard this year. And the production continues here to be so colorful and genuinely experimental. Like, I don’t even know how to describe some of the vocals here. They’re obviously still sort of soulful and groovy, and while it’s totally out there, this track works. With “seedless” the atmosphere of this album continues to be impenetrable. From what I’ve heard, The Haxan Cloak doesn’t have any production credits on this album, but it still has that very suffocating sound more often than not. This is one of the more tortured and twisted tracks here. Vocally, I think it may just be Josiah’s best. It’s just charming and incredible really. But his vocals are so much darker here, which usually I would be really into. But that, alongside of this sort of lumbering beat makes this one of the harder tracks to get into here. But the very whimsical, cosmic world of serpentwithfeet has a way of dragging you back in very quickly. “invoice” is up next, and this one is much more minimal and cold, and seriously uninviting. But it also is just so gigantic and suffocating. This track comes off so much more powerful than it’s predecessor. I love the booming beats and the massive production, and just how gigantic Josiah’s vocals come off. It continues to be very cryptic, and this may be his most mysterious track yet. But between this insane instrumentals and the flooring vocal performance, I’m 100% behind it.
“waft” continues to come off just as massive and kaleidoscopic, and has that very same hulking atmosphere as well. This one is oddly bluesy, and between that and the intense strings this may just be the most tortured track here, which is saying something. And the symbolism continues to be absolutely wild. Josiah just has this unreal mind for creating mind-bending pop. On the other hand, “slow syrup” is one of the more elegant and lavish instrumentals here. But in moments like this, I hate to say it, serpentwithfeet comes off a little more unfocused. Trust me, I love how abrasive and genuinely experimental this track is. But it doesn’t sound like some left-field Pop tune, it sounds more like a sort of messy clash of ideas. For some, this track may be the most exciting here, but this isn’t what I want to hear from Josiah. On the other hand, “bless ur heart” is the exact opposite. This is a pretty flooring, emotional and personal ballad. And honestly, as far as a straightforward track goes, this is the closest thing Josiah has gotten to a “Pop” tune. It’s beautiful and wonderfully produced. And when that very hulking beat comes in, this track becomes pretty massive very quick;y. But let me say, I actually wish this track took things a little further with just how experimental it is. That being said, it’s a haunting and beautiful finale.
Now, a LOT of the early themes of sepentwithfeet’s music carry over as well, and that’s made insanely clear on tracks like “mourning song”. Here we have Josiah worrying about a wide array of topics, like his voice being too deep. But just how haunting this one is makes it the most memorable, because this track is chilling. Josiah is just so filled with sorry, but so much of it can be felt by anyone, any gender, any sexual preference, or anything else in between. He fears how he looks, he doesn’t want to feel small, little things we all have felt. And the way that Josiah wraps this all up in this wildly eclectic package is brilliant. Then we have “cherubim”, arguably the most soulful track here. I may just be the most terrifying and bizarre soul track you’ll hear this year, but it’s still soulful damnit. The biblical reference also continue in a big way, and it really have to say it just adds so much, and makes the music of serpentwithfeet almost surreal. Devotion, worship, it’s all a very interesting way to look at an relationship, and so different than everything else I’ve heard this year. And the production continues here to be so colorful and genuinely experimental. Like, I don’t even know how to describe some of the vocals here. They’re obviously still sort of soulful and groovy, and while it’s totally out there, this track works. With “seedless” the atmosphere of this album continues to be impenetrable. From what I’ve heard, The Haxan Cloak doesn’t have any production credits on this album, but it still has that very suffocating sound more often than not. This is one of the more tortured and twisted tracks here. Vocally, I think it may just be Josiah’s best. It’s just charming and incredible really. But his vocals are so much darker here, which usually I would be really into. But that, alongside of this sort of lumbering beat makes this one of the harder tracks to get into here. But the very whimsical, cosmic world of serpentwithfeet has a way of dragging you back in very quickly. “invoice” is up next, and this one is much more minimal and cold, and seriously uninviting. But it also is just so gigantic and suffocating. This track comes off so much more powerful than it’s predecessor. I love the booming beats and the massive production, and just how gigantic Josiah’s vocals come off. It continues to be very cryptic, and this may be his most mysterious track yet. But between this insane instrumentals and the flooring vocal performance, I’m 100% behind it.
“waft” continues to come off just as massive and kaleidoscopic, and has that very same hulking atmosphere as well. This one is oddly bluesy, and between that and the intense strings this may just be the most tortured track here, which is saying something. And the symbolism continues to be absolutely wild. Josiah just has this unreal mind for creating mind-bending pop. On the other hand, “slow syrup” is one of the more elegant and lavish instrumentals here. But in moments like this, I hate to say it, serpentwithfeet comes off a little more unfocused. Trust me, I love how abrasive and genuinely experimental this track is. But it doesn’t sound like some left-field Pop tune, it sounds more like a sort of messy clash of ideas. For some, this track may be the most exciting here, but this isn’t what I want to hear from Josiah. On the other hand, “bless ur heart” is the exact opposite. This is a pretty flooring, emotional and personal ballad. And honestly, as far as a straightforward track goes, this is the closest thing Josiah has gotten to a “Pop” tune. It’s beautiful and wonderfully produced. And when that very hulking beat comes in, this track becomes pretty massive very quick;y. But let me say, I actually wish this track took things a little further with just how experimental it is. That being said, it’s a haunting and beautiful finale.
Rating: 8.1/10
Give A Listen To: “whisper”, “fragrant”, “cherubim”, “invoice”
Least Favorite Track: “seedless”
Genre: Experimental Pop
Overall Thoughts: Josiah Wise has come through with one of the more mindblowing and truly experimental Pop albums of the year, that goes without saying. But there's a whole lot more to love about this album then just some wonky beats and some pristine production. This is a deeply personal account of Josiah's life, filled with breathtaking visuals and a remarkable attention to detail. I personally feel like it's when this album is at it's most Pop-centered, it's at it's best. And I know there are a few tracks here that people are going to hate me for not going head over heels for. But I feel like some of the more abstract, clashing tracks here are a little sloppy. But for a genuinely Experimental Pop album in 2018, this album is pretty stunning.
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