Review Summary: So I wrote this after my first five or six listens and these were the thoughts I had on it, at first I was thinking that I would probably change some of the abrupt and harsh transitions, but like I said I really think that is exactly how John wanted them
In Your Eyes-
The opener of the album jumps right Johns lovely vocals, loving the intro and the effects that he uses on his voice are actually quite funny (not sure if it's funny on purpose), painting a cartoon like picture in my head. The drums and keys (I think) have a really nice groove that complements each other very well. The drum beats alone strike me as being very complex but I am not technically talented and I would even say kind of ignorant when it comes to things like that but I just really love how he switches the beats up so often but still keeps that smooth flow going. Now the first big transition at 1:25 is pretty rugged and hard to listen to, it is just very abrupt and does not flow well at all, but as I sit here and listen to it for the fourth time while reading the lyrics, “Who becomes that reflection but we who lose ourselves in abstraction” I am left coming to the conclusion that John most definitely did this on purpose. The hard to listen to transition goes right along with the inner turmoil feeling that the lyrics are throwing out there, which makes me appreciate the concept much more but still…it’s hard to listen to. Then the middle part of the explodes with his scratchy, rough, screaming vocals and the lyrics really reflect more of this turmoil along with a couple more weird, awkward transitions. Then very melodically he sings “You are the sun to me” and that leads to a tear-jerking guitar solo that left me really understanding the song as a piece of the album, specifically like John himself said, “Letur-Lefr for me signifies the transition of two becoming one, notably symbolized by the first song on the album being the sequel to the album’s last.” Anyone who has ever attempted to become one with another human being, which is what man and women were created to be for each other knows that there are painful, awkward, rugged, rough changes and transitions that will be undergone and the more I listen and think about that concept the more I can appreciate this song and what I really think John meant for it to mean (even if he didn’t that is for sure what it’s meaning to me ). At first I was not feeling the song much and I still find parts very hard to listen to but the full concept of it really brings it together as a beautiful piece of art.
909 Day-
There are four MC’s featured on this little tune, who really don’t offer much lyrically, which really doesn’t come across to me as a bad thing. They more or less just do a little scatting over John just creating some very pleasant beats. At around 58 seconds he drops in some very clean sounding keys (again, I think that is what it is) that just instantly give me goose bumps. With the MC at the beginning saying, “I wish my dreams were serene” that is exactly what those dream like keys do for me. Paints a picture of a serene, beautiful dream, then the deep sounding transition at 1:18 coupled with the bubbly sounding synths that then lead into John singing five short lines that seem to say to me that we did our best and that’s all we knew to do, now there is only one thing to do, “move through time” followed by a sample from the narration of the 1954 movie, Executive Suite saying, “it is always up there..high in the sky, those who work there are somehow above and beyond the tensions and temptations…I have touched the sky” with these really angelic opera like backing vocals that leave one feeling much like John is speaking of the spiritual and reaching out to God for help through difficult times. Then….Glowe.
Glowe-
The transition from 909 Day into Glowe is beyond superb, I do not think it could have been done any better, it really left me speechless from the very first listen. These two songs really go together as one (very cool how that really fits into the two becoming one concept of the album). I really don’t have a whole lot to say about Glowe other than I wish it was longer! Really enjoying the kind of jungle like feel that the back beat and chanting in the background gives over Johns deep guitar groove. Three words that I feel describe the song well, fast jungle groove.
FM-
CHECK IT! Man, this is one hell of a great experimental hip-hop jam. I just cannot get enough of this one, You have Wu-Tang affiliate Kinetic 9 who opens up the first verse just spitting some very clever rhymes over some stellar synth work from John also with John all throughout the song belting out some perfect backing vocals that are enough to make one melt. The second verse is then just straight KILLED by RZA It for sure is my favorite because of how well done the beat is with the way he flows…it is nothing short of outstanding. It really makes me want to hear more of the stuff that he and John have done together but not released. Then Rugged Monk raps (get it..haha) it up with more clever lines over more great beats. The way John works in his melodic vocals, electronic dance sounds (around RZA’s line there is even a bit of a drum and bass type feel), guitar playing, synth work and blends it all together as a hip-hop beat for these guys to rap over is just so ridiculous! The many layers and intricacies that are in this song while managing to not have too much going on is a really hard thing to do and it is so well executed, keeping it fresh, smooth and constantly morphing into something new, it really is just flat out genius.
In My Light-
This song…Honestly blows me away. Again I want to mention John saying that this song is the prequel to In Your Eyes and how that ties together with the overall concept of the album, that right there is just something that I find to be so beautiful. Reading the lyrics and putting everything together like puzzle pieces is something that I can appreciate so very much, it really gives you a glimpse into the beautiful and creative mind of this truly amazing man. The intro gives us a simple drum beat, wonderful lyrics, and his vocals that get me every time. When he starts to sing about the sun looking down on me he drops in these synth sounds that just make me think of spinning, then he drops in the beat that stays true to the foundational harmonics of the song, it blows my mind. The way that he slightly builds up to it is so great too, it then abruptly changes which didn’t really strike me as pleasant but then brings it back to some UNBELIEVEABLE effects that he places on his vocals while dropping in some of that infamous screaming that he does, with RZA dropping in lines like, “How can one drowning man save another?” Then finishing off the album with some beautiful keys being played over an eerie sounding synth that when they come together, form an excellent outro and strong ending to this album.
