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Some people are happy just to write and release songs, a collection of hooks and energy designed to engage and groove. There is nothing wrong with that; it has served us well for a long time. But occasionally, you come across artists who want to do something more with the form. Write songs, yes, but not just as a means to an end. As Buddha himself said, it is better to travel well than to arrive.
As soon as you listen to the opener on Rezo’s latest album, The Age of Self Help, you’ll understand precisely what he meant by that. This is the sound of traveling well. “Live In The Beautiful” is more than just a song. The music is a delicate collection of sonics woven out of gossamer grace and chiming sounds, spaciousness, and restraint; the lyrics are, in turn, suitably poetic and personal. And that is the perfect way to lay out their musical stall for what is to follow.
“Just A Man” moves along on understated beats, gentle piano, and haunting guitars, a song that seems to hang in the air before you rather than get delivered to you in the usual way, “Say Goodbye” drifts gracefully, a blend of the human voice and digital sounds, but there is also room for busier moments, such as the jazz-infused “Big Dipper.”
Thematically, Rezo is still discussing similar issues to those on previous albums, namely that “in this modern age of cheap technology, mass media, and instant, pervasive communication, it has never been harder to be heard. Or to hear.” But also the broader issue of life and love, illness, and death, isolation and fear are still being explored.
In short, the most poised music discusses the most poignant of issues.
