MegaRoundup: RGV Albums 12/28/21
A recap of some RGV albums from the past four months, including a pop artist’s testament to love and life, a singer-songwriter’s glorious resurrection of old demos, and lucid cuts of dreamy synthwave.
Paolo Honey - Beloved.
A lot can happen in a year. In 2020’s “Shimmer”, Paolo Santiago (then under the name Honeyflowers) kindled his brand of love-stricken and sophisticated bedroom pop into burning displays of passion, complete with youthful awkwardness and shortcomings. The album earned local interest for Santiago’s project after his upward trajectory in the live music scene was cut short by the pandemic. The praise was short-lived however, as accusations of inappropriate behavior toward several women surfaced. Before taking a year of virtual silence, he first came clean about some of the claims, apologized publicly, and shared his thoughts on learning and improving himself. Now he is back with a new album, where the boy who was all but pleading on his knees for the girl of his affection last year, is now a man standing by his woman.
Along with the impressive acrobatics that his honeyed tenor voice performs, there are lulling acoustics and bells in “Goodnight, Mrs. Honey”, cathartic grooves in “Disco’s Dead” that will make you dance “like no one’s watching”, and the daydreamy “Special K” that becomes one of his best romantic ballads even in a discography that is full of them. While the musical scope is expansive, the theme of appreciation remains constant. It is not only a tribute to a woman and a relationship that makes him a better person, but also a newfound appreciation for life. “I’m too young to be too old. Too old to be too young”, he hazily ruminates in “Temporary Joy.” “Everything is temporary. Let’s go have some fun.”
Ezekiel Rae - Secret Summer
Ezekiel Rae is no stranger to holding on to material for years before they solidify into release-worthy songs. but you wouldn’t know it just by listening that these songs were demos and scraps for five years before being refined. There are rich beds of folk instrumentation and conviction in Rae’s emo-tinged vocals. There’s also a lyrical arc to it: from being disappointed in relationships to finding solace in yourself.
Revery - Wildflower
Instrumental synthwaver Revery hasn’t shifted too many gears since last year’s “My Heart Is Neon”, but this album is better sequenced and paced, flowing better than ever. There is still the anachronistic 80’s nostalgia that soars with occasional power metal guitars and new-age flourishes, all of it being easy on the ears. This time, there’s an EDM pulse that weaves in and out of some tracks, such as the bro-stepping “Cherry Blossom” and the four-on-the-floor thump underneath the quaint “Nuerosis.” The more scenic tracks are more fleshed out this time as well — there’s the seven-minute spiritual saga “Wave Aurora”, and the gracefully dissonant strums and drums of the title track. Overall, it’s a background album worthy of uninterrupted plays.
Noimnotwhite - The Moon & Mars
Noimnotwhite has sparingly and sporadically released two-minute rudimentary singles for years, connected only by mood. Now, we have a 15-minute EP of his inebriated brooding that keeps the vibe going. The lo-fi hip hop beats evoke lonely night drives, with muffled guitars that tempt you to longingly romanticize the memories of someone special. It’s dark, psychedelic, and hauntingly beautiful.
Evolve - The NNY EP (The Brooklyn Sessions)
The latest entry in Evolve’s series of Bandcamp releases that involve his crew of production and rap collaborators. It’s a sinister minimal sound that emphasizes raps and atmosphere over hooks and structure. It’s 20 straight minutes of urban blight vignettes, with raw rhymes from Evolve’s matter-of-fact delivery.
MILAGROS - MILAGROS (In English)
Throughout 2021 we were treated to a string of highly inspired and memorable singles that showcased Milagros Luna’s borderplex influences and personal vision. Now they’re put together into one EP in three languages: Spanish, English, and “Spanglish”. Usually, translations are hard to do and not often attempted in the music world — sometimes phrasing becomes awkward, the change in syllables become messy, and the phonetic changes don’t stack up to the original. Yet, Milagros maneuvers around the pitfalls fairly well. It’s a different feel, without sacrificing any of the melodies and rhythms that made the originals pop.
