Pareto is an indie rapper-songwriter who delves into finding the music with the nicest vibe, alternative pop music infused with elements of r&b, hip hop and lo-fi styles to create comforting and soft soundscapes for his soliloquy about working with your mind and body rather than fighting them, an anthemic album in the face of soaring struggles with mental health across all demographics. This album, Generation of Desolation – developed in and inspired by the quarantine, is an exploration of the world and its experiences as someone trying to figure it out – a genuine stab at finding some collective catharsis in sharing these complex emotional landscapes.
The album features an eclectic collection of tracks, each addressing their own minefield of subjects from different lenses. The opening track Voices is about the push-and-pull of romantic frustration and has the artist how much to trust himself, is more classically lo-fi with distorted strumming and percussion. Similarly, the album’s lead track Fight the Feeling is a stream of consciousness style exposition about standing up against the expectations laid down by authorities and society, and the mental anguish of combating these things. It features gentler strumming to accompany its vulnerable prose about the Generation of Desolation, how we should stand with each other because we’re all in this together.
It is by Calling that the EP has evolved into rippling synths and basslines, and for some reason Pareto begins to sound more like Mac. It reminds us to live our best lives despite the burden that hangs overhead – destiny is a fallacy and sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get by. Nemo brings the diversity of sound with its tasty arpeggios and pop hook. Generation of Desolation closes with his old release, the gentle Long Drive (it has a lovely music video!) and then Missed Dreams – a spoken-word style soft conclusion to the EP. These tracks remind us to prioritise our peace of mind despite all the shit that occurs, and to ultimately do you.
Pareto’s music feels like particularly evocative journaling of someone coming to terms with the human condition, a lovely musical insight into the new world we find ourselves heading into as well as a little cathartic didact to ease the languishment a little. Each track is unique and flavourful, and represents my favourite kind of hip-hop – that which Nujabes left behind. Don’t miss this generational manuscript, Generation of Desolation!
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Part-time writer but full-time music enthusiast, I write some of the features on here. I think appreciating a multitude of genres and styles makes me good at my job, so clicky here to see what I've written!
