Troubled times have a way of scratching at an artist’s very soul. This, together with the fact that it is impossible for people who’ve trained themselves to seek depth, means that an identity crisis can always be looming just around the corner. Fortunately for Old Many Canyonx and artists of all stripes, what they also possess is an ability to process through the dolefulness using their creativity.
Old Man Canyon’s “So Long Babylon” is, in many ways, pop music therapy. This functions as a two-way street, of course. It is music designed to help calm the nerves of listeners. But it also highlights the benefits it brought the author and pleas for listeners to engage with their own imagination.
Open song, “What’s Even Real Anymore,” questions the nature of actuality in a world dominated by AI-generated art, fake news, and an avalanche of unprovable facts and figures. Musically, the song sways into lush indie-pop territory and features a catchy chorus.
The search for spiritual freedom is also described on the song “In Our Own Way.” The repetitive synth arpeggios seem to hang in and out of tune before the gentle hook, reminiscent of Tame Impala records, moves in to resolve the tension.
“Out of Reach” plays almost like a slowed-down, vaporwave version of funk. There’s an effortless calm that oozes from the vocals. This helps deliver both the song’s message and a friendly sound that could easily find room on the Summer festival stages.
Once you’re in a groove, there’s no reason to step out. Just like prolonging a swimming session in the Sun-heated sea, “Two Sides” and “Never Apart” deliver more of the hushed indie-pop trance that is Old Man Canyon’s bread and butter.
Old Man Canyon’s “So Long Babylon” has managed a nice trick of delivering a set of spiritually-motivated songs that do not sound preachy. If anything, this is an EP that could easily soundtrack a visit to the spa. Maybe relaxation and personal revolution could still become bedfellows.
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