I’m not crazy, you are.
It’s obvious to me.
You live, but do you really know why? It was your parents who willed you into existence, not your own desire for life. Culture curated your preferences and your mannerisms. Privileged circumstance showed where you might be valuable, and disadvantage became the sore points of yourself.

Do you know what is truly yours?

Maybe nothing at all. And yet, anything could be. You could buy a car if only you save enough money. You could have joy if you found love.

But so often I catch myself wanting none of that. I don’t want anything at all. I want nothing to lose, such that everything feels like it is being gained. Every second I exist is time being generously added to my life by the universe that wills me to experience it. It’s not my time. It’s not my life. Everything I learn, everything I use, (from the car that I drive to the body that I inhabit!) is for the sake of the universe, which includes you. As I so vehemently oppose pain and hatred, I ought to become healing and love.

For your sake. If I do this, we both can have joy.

And yet it is so hard.
What do you think? Would you help me love you? Or am i crazy

Best Tracks: Time Takes Time, Brother, Black Walnut, Faeries
Genre: Art Pop, Neo Soul
Year: 2024

Claire and Ciccio had a beautiful vision with Music is the Answer, and they executed it perfectly. It’s a blessing that SHEBAD exists, and from Fantano to J-Wave in Tokyo, the world clearly recognises that. It’s so inspiring to see such creative artists get the praise they deserve.

So why is the world (and myself) falling in love with this music? The opening track, “Love is the Message”, is everything great about SHEBAD. The song is a sonic landscape of guitar reverbs and bass harmonics, kept in time by Emmitt’s hypnotic ghost-note funk. Claire’s vocals are as smooth as silk. Her lead vocal is commanding and romantic; she reminds me of Daniel Caesar, but with more sweetness in her voice. The background vocals add an extra layer to her character, with harmonised runs that even Nai Palm of Hiatus Kaiyote would be proud of. And every time I hear the bass/vocal outro on this track, I never want it to end.

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Best Track: The Creator Has a Master Plan
Genre: Free Jazz
Year: 1969

The first dozen times I listened this album, it left me speechless. “The Creator Has a Master Plan” somehow captures the formation of a collective musical spirit, as all of the musicians uniquely felt it. Say what you will about the simplicity of the composition, but a simple structure frees up the musicians to where they can devote all their focus into feeling and expressing this spirit. It’s free jazz after all… the music SHOULD be freeing. The band resolves every climax with such grace, and keeps achieving new heights as the piece goes on. The instruments weave between each other, not with an orchestrated pattern, but by tapping into a shared musical connection and gradually moving in intensity as the energy flowed throughout the studio. Spiritual music calls for spiritual language amiright!!!!

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