There are some records that hit you right away. As soon as the beat drops or the opening chords or sample plays, you’re in it. You’re on the hook and you want to see where it will go.
Can it take me places I’m not expecting it to, but I’m expecting it to?? Some records are just like that. Then, there are some songs that arrive somewhat decomposed and require a sense of vision on the part of the listener, that needs the listener to “get it”.
JMA’s “Haunted House” is one of those songs that arrives to you, initially, as butter, eggs, flour, icing, etc., but the cake part comes later…if you’re willing to allow the ingredients to bake.
Known for his challenging delivery and practical content, Joel Markus Antson’s latest single is food for thought. A song about building what’s broken or being haunted by the what if’s or what-could-have-been’s; a call to work on relationships rather than trade them in for the next.
A spoken word piece set to music, “Haunted” doesn’t work as a “song”, per se, unless you arrive at the conclusion that you want it to. It’s working parts: a moody piano over a basic kick and snare, accented vocals that literally speak to you like a conversation as opposed to moving as a melody, a rhyme pattern you’ll miss if you’re not paying attention. This latest single doesn’t overpower you with the obvious, but its appeal is in the layers it slowly reveals.
Yes, the cadences can be a bit confusing, but the message is penetrating and one that calls for conversation and consideration.
This release, accompanied by fitting cover art and a compelling visual, may not completely work as a single but does work as a piece of art with a message that carries.
—
What are your thoughts on this artist out of Estonia? Let us know in the comments below!