Some artists can’t be confined to a single genre. Musicians such as Cypress Hill and Ministry have changed and evolved their entire sound into dramatically different styles over the course of their careers. Agaaze and his latest album “For You” does this in a 7-track ode to love itself. In this release, Agaaze channels inspiration from many genres as an expression of a young man’s journey through this complex emotion.
“The Door” starts the album off. White noise at the start of the track is nicely flanked by ambient synths, giving the track a mysterious aesthetic. The distorted, synth-laced vocal track doubles down on this, with smooth crooning that ties the track together nicely. Lines such as “when you can open the door and give it another go, why don’t you open the door” are delivered in ways that define the mysterious, digital ambient aesthetic. When the track kicks over about halfway through, it’s as if the track changed when you weren’t looking. The upbeat percussion and stand-out guitar work, including the solo that jams freely towards the end of the track, is one that shouldn’t be missed. It makes “The Door” a great intro track that grabs your attention with its robust and eclectic style.
“I Don’t Got Time for This Today” has a smooth intro and gets you moving within the first few seconds of hearing the track. The phone call during the intro is a great subtle statement of introduction before the track goes into full swing and gets you going. The synths are spacey, with percussion that builds up perfectly alongside it that has a pulse of its own while simultaneously supporting the linear bass. The blips of the synth feel smooth with the drums giving them a nice bounce, while the second set does a good job at building the tension and setting the stage for the Excell guitar solo. The groovy guitar dominating most of the track has a free-flowing feel, giving the track an alluring quality that is impossible to ignore until it ends. “I Don’t Got Time for This Today” is a smooth, jazzy track whose short and sweet runtime makes it both stand out and wish it was all just a bit longer.
“Cinnamon Paradise” is the single of the album and it’s easy to see why. The faint bongo drums that build behind the white noise will have your head bobbing instantly. When the track kicks into high gear before the first-minute ends, the bass takes center stage and grooves unrelentingly. It grabs you by the ears and whisks you away at the cue of a record scratch, while the percussion evolves and solidifies the beat that never breaks its own groove. The track has a great sense of personality, with great changeovers that give it a personality and matches the attitude of the song in the moment. With some intoxicating beats, emotional lines such as “like damn, I wanna make sure before I’m waiting for a kiss to wake the only cure” that show a vulnerable side of the vocalist that’s easy to relate to. “Cinnamon Paradise” is a great track that’s packed with emotion and evocative beats that highlight the mood of the song perfectly.
“Are You Real?” Has a rough and dramatic piano recording that is a great intro to the track before it collapses into a trippy synth beat. Percussion creeps behind the synths, which warp with a spacey charm that gives the droning rap track a haunting quality. Lines such as “but who am I to judge another persons’ decisions of hiding from the truth and early reminiscent” and “I’m a byproduct of my own experience” double down on this quality, but the track never ventures into the darkest depths and though the build-ups land you back into the haunting spaciness. “Are You Real?” Is a contemplative track whose contemplative and haunting grooves give gravity to the plea towards humanity made in the track. Though it may not make it onto your playlist, “Are You Real?” is a stand-out track that shouldn’t be missed.
“For You” is an emotional ride from start to finish. The album runs the gamut of emotion and energy, from high highs such as “I Don’t Got Time for This Today” to low lows in “Are You Real?” The genre-defying track composition works well when each track has its own unique charm, loosely connected by a persistent synthpop influence throughout. Though it might not set the world on fire, “For You” is a sincere look at love from the perspective of Agaaze and will resonate with those who can connect with the message.
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