SonOfOld’s fourth studio album glows with tracks spanning a decade-long period of music-making – the self-titled offering coming nine years after his previous full-length release, The Wolf Album.
We already got a taste of a few of the tracks, “Much Better” one of the standout pre-releases for its dark yet eccentric production. It’s a sound that reminds me of Muse, only less pretentious (sorry Muse fans) and fully embedded with the spirit of a fearless musician.
For SonOfOld, or any artist who has not yet seen A-list success, looking to make a new album is a feat in itself, but the wholeness, the clarity, and the relentless confidence of this album makes it worthy of bursting recognition. “Shout It Out” carries a stoic chorus line that’s brooding in its beauty, while “A Message” gets playfully cheeky, even if it is a little outdated for its Brit-pop ’90s feel.
In fact, the album’s only real downfall is its lack of regard for the current times. I’m not sure whether it’s contemporary enough to pass for something out of 2020, but then again, those who know SonOfOld know that he’s never been about meeting commercial trends, and he never will be either.
