Wesley Joseph's latest album, GLOW, is an emotional journey showcasing his talent as a musician and creative.
Words Emilio Lopez (@emilio.l1)
The introduction to GLOW is powerful, with Wesley Joseph's distorted singing voice building up a romantic atmosphere. Eventually, the beat suddenly switches to create a warm and soulful feeling. It's a strong opener, which shows just how versatile of an artist he is. This is shown throughout the album, as he blends auto-tune with other effects, using them as tools to unlock not just sounds, but emotions too. Wesley Joseph himself, on Instagram, says this album was a "Deep, therapeutic process and each song is an emotional landscape reflective of where I was in that moment"
The second single, 'MONSOON', is a personal favourite, and proves how easily Joseph switches between his talented singing voice and punchy bars. The track details his struggle with purpose, as he searches for meaning and direction in this confusing and uncertain world: 'See purpose in a second but lost if it ain't defined, Losing sleep over some purpose feeling limited by time, Hope there's purpose in this moment or at least one of these lines’.
I can't write about this album without mentioning the coinciding visuals. Joseph produced videos for three out of the eight tunes on the album, with each visual feeling like its own separate movie. The multifaceted artist's visuals are often colourful and artistic, with a range of set designs and Joseph wearing a selection of outlandish garms. They provide the listener with an aesthetically pleasing story to follow. 'SUGAR DRIVE', with its animated features, is a personal favourite, offering a laid-back vibe thanks to Korean artist DEAN, who's the only collaborator of GLOW.
'I JUST KNOW HIGHS' is one of Joseph’s most experimental tracks, giving a psychedelically hypnotic feel. His auto-tuned voice is used to create an array of different sounds while a reversed beat plays in the background. 'COLD SUMMER’ follows, which begins with long deep strings that set an eery tone. The overall track gives a sinister vibe, that complements its title.
The penultimate, ‘HIATUS’, presents all of Joseph's vocal talent in one track, as he flows through his unique singing and rapping vocalisations. His rap game is strong, with fiery polyrhythmic bars bursting out the seems of the dystopian trap beat.
GLOW is an emotional rollercoaster that ends with a hard-hitting outro. 'LIGHT LIGHT', with its refreshingly melodious sound, leaves us in a calm state after the album's franticness. It's a telling record that shows the natural sonic journey Joseph's taken these past few years.