22stain Drops An Honest and Experimental Record
- BuzzSlayers
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
An album release from 22stain delivers one of the most experimental but deepening and engulfing experiences I've heard in quite some time, by way of breeding a soundscape that builds atmospheres and letting you soak it in over the course of 14 pieces of music that each showcase intensely personal attributes at times, different almost every time.
There's something about the Isolationship album that feels eerily relatable.
This is a record that spends some time focusing on inner thought, being alone, and digging into who you are, in a sense.
It's been a long time since I've heard a record that was so introspective and vulnerable, but also edgy and theatrical at the same time.
There are all kinds of different approaches throughout the record's course, but there are also a lot of consistencies, so the record is confluent while it branches out and becomes as diverse as it can be.
There is pop sensibility and undertone lurking just beneath the surface of a lot of these tracks, but the overtones are devastatingly personal.
The album boasts massive amounts of character, and I think that's what you end up attaching yourself to along the way.
The record starts with "Why?" which is absolutely a great introduction to the record because it starts giving you some of the dark, edgy vibes that a lot of the rest of the record portrays, while droning off and distorted fuzz tone, and some spoken word here and there, giving you this kind of feeling that again, is all too familiar but hidden somewhere within you.
"Anything I" features up-close, whispering kind of vocals, layered clean guitars with a delay effect on them, creating a dripping effect, and at this point in the record you are swallowed up.
You also realize that there's going to be plenty of surprises around the corners of this record by this point as well.
This is one of the songs that focuses on the isolation aspect. The quiet, silence, and introspection that you get when you are alone.
Although it is alternatively backed, there is an elegance about songs like this. It's got a purity to it that is hard to put your finger on, but it's there.
"Curtain" features elements of glitchy vocal production, tripped-out keys, and this bending effect that feels swirling and with the ability to wrap itself around you.
Pianos are being performed, hitting these kind of deeper root notes, later on performing higher ones, but that overlaying almost psychedelic synthesizer is always there on the top layer.
There's also a very unique time signature going on that the vocals follow in terms of its progression.
This is a very outside-the-box, avant-garde kind of record, and it's something you really jump into and start swimming through.
Again, there's a strange connection that you end up feeling when you listen to these songs, that mostly comes from the honesty behind it all.
This is a perfect example of a record that is built with fewer boundaries than whatever you may be used to.
It's also an album you should be listening to all the way through, and one shot.
It's about 41 minutes in length, and I feel like the songs are almost like chapters.
It's like reading someone's diary, and you don't want to skip around with something like that. You want to go through the whole thing so you get the full picture.
Although it does attach itself to certain elements of pop sensibility throughout its record, the experimental overtone is really what grabs you, coming along with that character-ridden honesty.
The vulnerability level is really up there, making this one of the few albums I've heard in a while without walls built around it.
In that sense, it's very unafraid. Actually, it's pretty unafraid musically as well.
"Silent Fountain" into persona as well, along with accompanying acoustic guitars that have kind of a beautiful tone to them and some creepy backing tracks that had a cinematic feel.
The thing about this record is that it's got a lot of emotion behind it. It is very heavily emotionally built, and because of that, you understand it.
It's got the guts to say things that you only think to yourself when you're alone.
I think that's important when it comes to any kind of music. Having music that lets you think or feel is something you don't come across often, so when you get it, no matter how different it may be, it affects you.
The record closes with a track called "Home 1 Day", and this one has a more electronic-based feel to it. There's still other instrumentation involved, but the synths and keys really take over, and it also gives you a steady beat with more pop feels along the way.
Listening to this album is like watching a movie you can't take a bathroom break from.
You need to listen to the whole thing so that you don't miss any of the different emotional states it portrays.
This is a very intriguing piece of work, and I absolutely dug myself a hole deep into it.
It's definitely not for everybody, but I think that's half of the point.
This was written for the artist and no one else; however, listeners will, again, connect and relate with it more than 22stain may even realize.
Put some headphones on to listen to this one because it's one of the best ways to soak in all of the textures, tones, layers, and emotion involved.
Remember where you heard it first.
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