Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Sontalk, Sony Music Masterworks 2019.
Sontalk is the performance name of multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Joseph Lemay and Stay Wild is his debut album.
The 12 tracks on the album chronicle Lemay’s journey of self-reflection, discovery, acceptance, and ultimately growth.
Throughout the development of the album Lemay’s path spanned everything from admittance to psychiatric wards due to intense periods of bipolar disorder, a suicide in the family, and finally the birth of his son, who incidentally, can be heard singing with his dad in the coda to the opening track.
Lemay describes the album as “a series of open letters the main character leaves for his inner child.”
The content swings from moments of despair to triumph, constantly tossing and turning between emotional extremes to create a dialogue between the songwriter and the listener.
The lead single from the album, I Am A Mountain, is a multi-layered ballad which details the before and after of a tumultuous relationship.
It opens with a sound loop, possibly of someone walking on gravel, that provides the rhythmic underpinning of the song.
The song works on lots of different levels and the music rises and falls as the relationship falters.
The second single, Baby I’m Gone, fuses a stark and soulful vocal with a sparse acoustic guitar providing an entirely different feel.
On its release Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the 10 best releases of the week.
A lot of effort has been given to creating multiple sonic landscapes for each track, ranging from the sparse and vast to distorted and confined, from angst to floating dreams and peace.
Producer Jeremy Lutito has used a wide variety of performed sounds mixed with sequenced beats, vinyl samples and complex multi-layered electronics to create a deeply emotional journey into Lemay’s life.
While the album is often therapeutic it’s also uplifting and needs to be listened to closely to fully appreciate its subtleties.
