Sketchface has released a new album called ‘SOULBLOOM: An Extended Play’, which takes us on an unforgettable ride. Each song tells a tale in and of itself, spanning a vast spectrum of genres and concepts, keeping you on the edge of your seat as we uncover song after song. There are experimental components as well as more ear-friendly tracks, which demonstrate the artist’s flexibility. As I write about some of the album’s highlights, I feel that listening to the songs will be a profoundly personal experience for us, and that we will have varied interpretations of the sonic design and the unexpected twists and turns.
‘METAMORPHOSIS‘ opens the record with a basic guitar strumming sequence. However, we are soon confronted with a steadily rising mood shift. The way the production or arrangement is written has a lot of excitement. The writing’s tales and settings are very relevant and real. It accurately reflects the modern reality. The song has a really smooth flow to it, with some unexpected shocks thrown in at regular intervals, and it sounds quite attractive. The guitar lines at the end have a very fantastic sounding portion. ‘WHAT DO YOU THINK OUR GHOSTS THINK OF US?‘ raises some very interesting and pertinent questions. The writing is really reflective, and it draws some lovely inspirations from the world around us. The rhythm and guitar lines set the foundation for the song’s tone, which is further enhanced by the great songwriting. The track’s pulse is kept engrossing by the synthetic soundscapes, which sound just incredible.
The next song, ‘ALL I THINK ABOUT IS YOU’, exudes a strong sense of love and compassion. The music is easy on the ears and would appeal to a wide range of listeners. The guitar has a really clean and smooth tone to it. The guitar haves such memorable melodic lines that keep you listening to the tune. The tone is upbeat, and it fills our hearts with a delicious flavour of adoration. ‘BATHTUB‘ is a beautiful piece with some very brilliant concepts woven throughout the composition. This song has a state of anxiety and emotional upheaval, which is well communicated through the words and music. The guitar lines truly hold you in place, and as we get closer to the end, the thunderous guitar passages provide the proper effect and immediately immerse you in the setting.
The next track, ‘DREAD TO THINK.’, has a wonderful guitar picking rhythm that immediately sets the tone of the song. The voice rendition evokes a strong feeling of melancholy inside the writing. The music is highly personal, and as the song progresses, we get increasingly invested in it. The music has the ability to emotionally catch you and draw you into its world. The arrangement is modest, allowing enough of room for the voice and words, which worked out perfectly for the song. The piano gives an added layer of emotional depth to the song.
The guitar progression in the title tune, ‘SOULBLOOM’, truly holds you in place. The arrangement moves at its own speed, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the song’s atmosphere. The songwriting has such a wonderful tempo, and there is enough of room for the song to breathe. Furthermore, we are treated to a delightful surprise in the form of a significant shift in the rhythm and pace, which is exciting. The vibe quickly switches into a different dimension that sounded quite interesting. The guitar tones are strong and enticing enough to keep you listening.
‘WILT AWAY‘ brought the album to a close with its simplicity and pleasant vibe. Because I was so moved by the lines, I consider this tune to be the album’s high point. This is a music I’ll listen to again and again. The vocal performance firmly keeps you in place, and the harmonies sound so pleasing to the ears that you are immediately immersed in the environment. This track, in particular, I thought the composition sounded more organic and self-reflective. The album does have a few pleasant surprises in store for us, making the experience truly memorable. I’m optimistic that once the album reaches the right ears, the songs will resonate with the majority of people.
Sketchface also discusses the experiences during the recording sessions and the inspiration for the tunes.
1. The songs are extremely well-written and resonate with all of us. I was wondering as to what these tunes’ origins may be. If you could talk about how the idea for the tracks came about, that would be fantastic.
Thank you so much! A lot of the songs on the back end of this EP were written when I was struggling a lot with anxiety near the start of the year, I was listening to a lot of Phoebe Bridgers and Wilbur Soot and thought that for the more bleak songs a more plain acoustic palette would work better! The songs aren’t REALLY about anyone in particular, mostly just about the fear of abandonment and my frustration with the fragility of life.
2. Each song is quite intricate. I was curious as to how the experience of working on this album and composing these lovely songs affected you. Do you think your viewpoint as a musician or in life as a whole has shifted?
Oh for sure! My first project (in my opinion) was WAYY more inconsistent than this EP, this EP feels like a proper first step into an actual unique sound for myself, and I think that’s something to be excited about. The most recent song from the EP that I actually wrote was ‘ALL I THINK ABOUT IS YOU’, which should say something about how much better my headspace is now.
3. What are the backstories to the arrangement? Was the sound you created on the record something you set out to do or something you discovered along the way?
I was listening to a lot of beabadoobee and always wanted to experiment more with my sound, so at the start of the year when I made ‘WHAT DO YOU THINK OUR GHOSTS MAKE OF US?’ I set out to make the most colourful song I could, which carried over to it’s partner song ‘METAMORPHOSIS’, which is actually a remake of the second song I ever wrote, and ‘ALL I THINK ABOUT IS YOU’. With the second half or so of the EP I wanted to experiment with a more alternative/shoegazey sound, with calm acoustic ballads to help cool the tension between tracks. ‘SOULBLOOM’s outro was actually heavily influenced by the track ‘Sleep’ by My Chemical Romance, and I think the breakdown was something I’ve wanted to make for a very long time.
4. Please tell us about your recording sessions. How much fun did you have during the sessions, and were there any challenges you faced?
There weren’t really recording SESSIONS I guess? I recorded, produced and mixed/mastered the whole thing in my bedroom, either in snippets or in like 5 hour blocks at 1am! I feel like I’m most productive past 1am, when I’m deliriously tired and confident in my abilities :’) there were so many moments in the making of this EP though where I would record a bit, play it back and have a huge grin on my face like ‘YEAHH THIS ACTUALLY SOUNDS GOOD!!’, a couple of these moments were after making the solo in the opening track and the closing chorus in ‘WHAT DO YOU THINK OUR GHOSTS MAKE OF US?’! Thanks to the fact I was making this in my bedroom, I didn’t really have to worry about time constraints or having to work on it at any certain time, which definitely helped my mindset of ‘I can always finish this later.’ if I’m at a block.
5. Is there anything in particular about the record that you’d like to draw attention to?
The overarching theme of the EP is that it’s great to have people supporting you, but it’s also an invaluable skill to be able to do and learn things by yourself, regardless of people telling you you suck. Two years ago I had just got my first trashy acoustic guitar, terrified because I hadn’t really touched an instrument before in my life, but now I’m at this point with this EP out and I can kinda already say, ‘I did it. I made this.’ to myself, and I want other people to experience that kind of pride.
6. What comes next? Is there anything you’d want to share with the fans regarding your next project?
I can’t see myself releasing anything crazy soon after this EP, but whatever does come after this EP will probably challenge my sound just as much as this one did. I don’t wanna be a bedroom pop boy forever!
Enjoy Listening to “SOULBLOOM: An Extended Play.” by Sketchface on Spotify!
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
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