R SHEAVES – it gets better
If you’ve heard one set of vocal auditions, I promise that you’ve heard them all, and you’ll know precisely what to expect next time you find yourself forced in this scenario. Everyone tries to be a soul singer, but few have the time to discover their soulfulness.
The majority of big pop star singers certainly don’t care. Most of them have much more to worry about. They need to keep the business going. They’re also aware of what buttons they need to push in order to make the audience think that the vocalist is digging for some emotion.
In truth, it’s much easier to learn to sing a very high or low note than to emotionally interpret a piece of music. Nobody teaches you this. And turning these kinds of things on and off is not something that most regular people can do.
Still, R Sheaves goes directly and confidently for the wellspring of emotion when he opens his mouth to sing on “it gets better.” This is not music merely meant to gently, almost silently accompany your day. It’s the use of the human voice in a way that is meant to create an impression. How else would you believe R Sheaves when they reassure you about better times ahead?
Matu – Split in Half
Psychologists make money hand over fist nowadays. And while I certainly ain’t knocking the profession altogether, nor would I dissuade anyone from working with a professional on individual growth, I think that it’s a time that favors their business.
There’s not one single person out there who has not dealt with hardships. The majority of us, however, work really hard to just bury them and move on. Argentinian singer-songwriter Matu doesn’t exactly welcome difficulties. But the musician isn’t working to avoid them either.
Matu is the school of thought that every trial and difficulty deserves to be documented. It is, after all, in these moments that our true nature is revealed. Nobody wants to face these difficulties, but what else says more about us than this?
Matu’s “Split in Half” is the work of a singer-songwriter looking to connect himself with the rest of the world and, especially, with himself. “Split in Half” finds a young songwriter trying to embrace poetry and transcendental folk music as a remedy to some of life’s big questions. What sets this apart from other musicians of a similar ilk is that this Argentinian songwriter isn’t covering his face or looking for the easiest solution. This isn’t just brave writing. It’s a brave way of living!
