Moses Sumney - Aromanticism

Moses Sumney
Aromanticism
2017
Spotify

From the vibe that brought you Frank Ocean, world meet your newest addiction: Moses Sumney. Aromanticism is the debut record from the American Art-Soul singer, with complex song structures and deeply personal lyrics. Sumney has drawn comparisons to singers like Arca, but his artistic bend is far less aggressive and instead He takes you on a really beautiful journey which is only punctuated with bolder sounds. The record drifts towards it's direction rather than taking a straight path, leaving time for discovery, slow-mo sliding and plenty of deep dives. The music shines and shimmers with strings coming in and out on songs like "Quarrel" creating this almost old school Hollywood vibe. Bright colors, beautiful people and music based firmly in the classic sense. So many style come together on Aromanticism like neo-Jazz, neo-Soul and an almost narcissistic take that seems to come straight out of Los Angeles. It's unabashedly soft with beautiful piano lines and heartfelt sentiments, allowing the music to actually be pretty rather than intentionally cutting it with something "edgy". Where Sumney finds his cutting tool however is with his lyrics. The album tries to paint a beautiful picture musically but the lyrics deal with being isolated and broken while still trying to exist in a world where relationships seem trivial. Moses is not concerned with hookups, He wants to take the deep dive with you and find out what lies underneath it all.

The album meanders but is paced expertly. You would expect it to get bogged down but before you know it the album has already slipped away. The idea that love is not the answer and perhaps we need to find something deeper and even more meaningful at the bottom of it all is so incredibly novel in music yep Sumney makes it look totally effortless. There is an ease to his despair, falling into infinity with a smile on your face. He finds this really great balance between sadness and sexiness creating a sound that is totally unique to Moses Sumney. At just 34 minutes Sumney gives you just enough woefulness for you to handle without putting the entire weight of his world on your shoulders. It is so refreshing to hear something totally new like this and gives you this real sense of excitement for whatever is to come next. If Sumney follows in the footsteps of some his contemporaries we are bound to hear some really interesting things next. For Now however Aromanticism is more than enough, it's great.

8.4 out of 10