An Honest Pop Record from Celestial Skies
An album release from Celestial Skies comes through with an amazing approach of blending a very honest pop with contemporary undertones, and even a little hint of theatrical aesthetic.
Today's Malaise absolutely delivers loads of truths and inner thoughts that just come spilling out for all to soak in, but a lot of them are thoughts plenty of us have had already.
I think that's kind of the beauty of this record. It's loaded with completely relatable character, so we end up connecting with the songs even if it's in a light-hearted manner.
"The Lost Art of Concentration" kicks things off, and it's a song that really has an introspective kind of feel. I love how the thought process unfolds, and the way the artist explains himself getting lost.
It's so straightforward, in a sense, that we sort of feel like we are that character. It's as if the song was written just for us.
Again, this really comes from the way he's honest about everything and how he's portraying it in an almost carefree manner.
It's really a record that's built with fewer boundaries than whatever you may be used to, while still holding tightly onto that pop sensibility.
"Cancel Culture" follows suit, but in a less personal and more universal sense. This is a song that's more about wondering how things are the way they are these days with the world and society in general.
Again, it's really about how semi-humorous and light-hearted the approach is lyrically. It is genuine, and some of it's a bit more serious, but it definitely has a bit of a whimsical touch that makes it bright and sort of colorful.
A lot of these songs have piano as a root instrument, and the tone and texture of the piano with guitars, organs, and the vocals just feel engaging.
Along with the contemporary sort of pop feel, you also have classic rock infused in its veins. I definitely am digging that sense of old and new-school approaches being blended seamlessly.
"Just Hold On!" is a song that showcases more of the serious side of things. This is a single that comes through, still with the same level of honesty as the others, but it has a different kind of emotion behind it.
You really do feel like this song came from some authentic place. Some life experience that pushed him to bring this song to fruition.
Maybe he himself had to deal with struggles and, in the end, realized he just needed to hold on longer to get through it.
The beauty of songs like this one, in particular, is that even though he wrote it from his own experience, or so it seems, this is also universal. A lot of us have dealt with these kinds of feelings, and sometimes we need a song like this to let us remember that we can pull through things; we can hold on.
It's songs like this that will let listeners feel like they're not alone, and we all need more songs like this in the world. It's inspirational, and in a certain way, it can be empowering.
I also love the shift and mood throughout the record. This is a great example of that shift, but there are others if you listen all the way through.
Having said that, I would certainly suggest that you listen to this record from start to finish, and one shot.
It's got plenty of surprises around its corners, it branches out into other styles and approaches, the songwriting is not just solid but intriguing, and the whole thing has a way of wrapping itself around you and keeping you right where it wants to.
The deeper into the record you go, the more you realize that there are layers to be peeled back.
It's not just about mood or emotion; it's also about arrangement, composition, lyrics, and getting to the root of being a person.
Can't help but love a record that digs this deep. It's not overwhelming. It's not pushed; it just is; just like we are.
Songs like "Add To Cart" are a perfect portrayal of some of the layers I mean. This song, in my interpretation, has to do with how we buy things to make ourselves feel better.
We know it's not going to fix our problem, but it's something we need to make us feel like everything's okay for a moment. Something just for ourselves.
It's tracks like this that open up different sides to how the artist writes his music and how he's unafraid to put pieces of himself into it and really speak his mind.
The whole record is like this. As I mentioned before, some are more serious, some are light-hearted, but the whole thing is built off of thought process. It's built off of things that we know are there or that we've thought of before, but just never spoke out loud.
There's a lot to chew on.
I would also say listening to this record with headphones on is probably the best way to go.
A lot of attention to detail went into the mix of the album and how the atmosphere would come through as it unfolds. Listening to it with headphones on gives you full access to all the tones and moods that are coming through.
It's a very texture-riddled record, packed with personality from start to finish.
It's almost like a diary.
But you'll have to listen for yourself to really understand. So, take a deep dive into this record now and remember where you heard it first.
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