serpentwithfeet — DEACON — Album Review
Alternative | R&B
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
The musical project of Baltimore artist Josiah Wise, known as serpentwithfeet, was another example of an artist whose music I was introduced to as a result of commencing my last minute reviews week. Namely, it was his debut album soil, that I reviewed as part of my last minute reviews week of 2018. I was really wowed by how artsy and surreal that whole project sounded, and for a debut album, it was certainly impressive enough to persuade me into following serpentwithfeet for future projects.
The next project from serpentwithfeet came in the form of the Apparition EP, which unfortunately felt way too brief and stylistically shallow, for me to even feel close to getting my well-needed fix of the artist. Fortunately, fans wouldn’t have to wait too long until Wise’s following effort, as 2021 sees the release of serpentwithfeet’s sophomore album, titled DEACON.
This newest record from serpentwithfeet was teased earlier this year, with the release of a few teaser tracks. The earliest of which, titled “Fellowship”, along with its follow-up teaser “Same Size Shoe” did a fantastic job of giving me a good flavour of what to expect on this album. Not only would DEACON possess a very warm, wholesome, and highly affectionate feel, but it also presented a more accessible side to serpentwithfeet’s musical material, which come to think of it, makes a lot of sense because of the gradual increase in mainstream recognition this artist is rightfully receiving.
It felt clear that, backed up by the aforementioned affectionate feel, along with the cover art, that DEACON was going to be quite a romantic piece throughout. And by adding the gospel undertone, which I’ve noticed is somewhat of a weapon of choice for serpentwithfeet, this new album carries a lusciously heavenly vibe, and fits in incredibly well with the rest of Wise’s discography in my opinion.
This presumption I had towards the album was instantly confirmed by the phenomenal opening track “Hyacinth”, which feels like the musical equivalent of a warm and bright sunbeam shining down on the listener. And while I would call this track the most gleaming example of this strong sense of romanticism, it successfully carries through the rest of the album, with indulgent track after indulgent track. And with the more accessible feel added into the mix, DEACON makes for a pretty near-perfect album to get you in those summer feels.
And while I really expected nothing less, Wise gives us more heavenly vocal performances to enhance the atmosphere of this album even further. And while serpentwithfeet has always been amazing vocally in my mind, I firmly believe that some of his best vocal performances yet can be found on this brand new project.
But the one thing that I find to be the most amazing quality of this album, is how it manages to feel so unique and so simplistic all at once. In terms of its concept, and overall narrative, it was easy for me to immerse myself into the idea that DEACON was made to just be appreciated and enjoyed by the listener for all of the beauty that it holds. And while all of this takes place, Wise has injected every other element he could to really make it an album that pops.
I am highly impressed with serpentwithfeet’s sophomore effort. And with the warmer days coming into effect, I am very much looking forward to having this album accompany me through that time.
Favourite Tracks: Hyacinth | Sailors’ Superstition | Fellowship
Least Favourite Track: Derrick’s Beard
Secretly Canadian
Enjoyment: 9/10 | Memorability: 8/10 | Atmosphere: 10/10
Uniqueness: 7/10 | Satisfaction: 8/10 | Narrative: 8/10
