This album was released on June 5th this year. I really wasn’t sure if I was gonna be covering this project for a few reasons. I checked out Tomcantsleep’s Songbird EP last year, and I didn’t love it, although it was solid. I also couldn’t help but notice that this album here is only 13 minutes long, and that most of the tracks are under two minutes. I had a feeling that I would like this project to some extent considering the KILLVONGARD production, but I wasn’t expecting it to be one of my favorite albums of the year. This shit is fire.

---

It starts with the shortest song on the album, Primordial Ooze. Right from the start, I was blown away by KILLVONGARD’s dark, melodic production, and the poetic lyricism from Tom had me hooked.

Looking out, looking at, looking in
I have always been here, I didn’t just begin
Before invented gods allowed mankind to sin
Oceans full of primordial ooze to swim

He only spits ten bars on this song, but it doesn’t feel incomplete or undercooked. The song is less than a minute long, but it’s a better song than some artists can ever hope to make. I think it’s dope as hell. The following track is called Bodies. Once again, I really love the dark, yet head nod inducing production here. Tom’s lyricism here is great too. I really liked that line about how he doesn’t even like to speak unless the words rhyme. This track has kind of a minimalistic approach to song structure. I guess that could be said about the project in general though. Pretty much every song is just one quick verse. Normally that type of thing leads to an unfulfilling listening experience for me, but the rich, layered production from KILLVONGARD keeps things entertaining, and the writing from Tomcantsleep is great. This song in particular isn’t really a highlight for me, but I definitely enjoyed it a lot. It’s a dope track. It’s followed by my favorite song on the album, The Blinds Opened Up. The production is a lot less dark on this one. The beat is really beautiful, but it has kind of a sad edge to it. What really puts this song over the top for me is the lyricism from Tom. Every line here had me hooked because it sounds like it’s written from the perspective of someone who’s not doing too well mentally, which is something I can really relate to.

I remember vividly because the sky was blue
And the yellow sun was yelling that it was time to move
Lost my mind, but my soul was still mine to lose
Luckily I got lost cause I was finding you
On the brink of absolute destruction, feeling like nothing
The blinds opened up and let the sun in

There’s really not a single aspect of this song that I don’t love. It’s one of my favorite songs of the year despite being under 80 seconds long. I think it’s dope as fuck. Track 4 is called Driftwood. On my first listen of this album, this song didn’t really stand out that much to me. However, it grew on me a lot after I heard it a few more times. I really love the kind of lighthearted electronic sounding beat. It sounds like something that Onry Ozzborn would perform really well over. Again, I was really hooked by Tom’s writing here.

In pursuit of those far mysteries we dream of
Me and my destiny, we teamed up
A man of little means, made it so I do not need much
Fuck around and get your Yeezys scuffed tryna keep up
Belly full of dirt from the days I had to eat dust
If it’s really love, then why the fuck you leave us?
Stranded in a circle that’s spinning while it’s ending
Walk straight for long enough, you're back to the beginning

Again, this song grew on me a lot. I think it’s dope as hell. The following track is another highlight called DOOM Shirts. I absolutely adore the spacey, kind of jazzy beat here, and Tom killed this shit.

Man of the people that don’t really like people
'Cause people have only proven to be evil and deceitful
Before I open up the door, I’m looking through the peephole
And if it looks sketchy, then that locked door I keep closed
Give the shirt off my back to anyone that needs clothes
Unless if it’s the DOOM shirts I bought, I’ma keep those
Not dumb enough to spend hundreds on a hoodie
But not smart enough to get myself where I should be
All I know is this is where I’m at
And where I was before, I ain’t ever going back

This is another track that grew on me a lot. I loved it when I first heard it, but now it’s one of my favorite songs of the year. It’s dope as fuck. Same goes for the following track, Pitch Black Rooms. The beat here is fucking incredible. That’s the main thing that really stood out about this track. It’s just under a minute long, but it doesn’t feel too scant. The writing here is pretty dark, and it matches the tone of the instrumental really well.

Comparisons are cancerous, just enjoy the shine
I was giving in to thoughts that destroy the mind
Felt like someone else, but the voice was mine
Given everything he needed, but the boy was blind

I love it. This song has one of the best beats I’ve heard all year, and Tom killed it. The song’s dope as fuck. Track 7 is called Thanks for Visiting, and it has a really amazing melodic beat. This is the only track where I kinda feel like the brevity is a detriment to the song. This beat easily could’ve been used for a more fleshed out track with a strong hook and two or three full verses. The actual verse here from Tom is good, but it’s only 8 bars, so it just feels a little scant. With all that said, I still consider this song to be a highlight on the album. The instrumental here is brilliant. I love it. the song’s dope as hell. The penultimate track is called Random Nooks in Hell, and it’s another highlight. I love the tense, energetic production, and Tom killed this shit. I really love the closing quatrain.

What a life I was given, thank you Jesus
I know you're always listening, so when you read this
All I ask is for enough strength to carry on
By making sure the next drink I pour is very strong

Again, the writing matches the tone of the production very well. The song is fire. The closing track is one last highlight called Peculiar Dread. I love the calm, drumless production here, and Tom’s writing is fantastic.

I’m showering and going back to work
Looking at the sun, waiting for that shit to burst
It never does though

Lyrically, this song ends on kind of a somber note. However, the instrumental outro of this song, which is performed by LEALE, is really lighthearted sounding. I love it. I think this song is awesome.

---

^{This album is amazing. As I said in the body of this review, a lot of times when artists make albums with really short songs like this the listening experience as a whole can leave me feeling kind of empty. However, that wasn’t the case with this project at all. The songs here are so good that they don’t really need that much time to develop any further. They just hit really hard while they’re on, and then they quickly move on to the next track. It’s like they could’ve made this album longer, but they just trimmed it down to the best of the best. There’s absolutely zero filler here. I think this is one of the best albums I’ve heard all year. This is really one of the best years in music we’ve had in a long time in my opinion, and it’s because of projects like this. This shit blew me away. Give it a listen and let me know what you think in the comments below. I think it’s dope as fuck.}

Favorite Song: The Blinds Opened Up
Least Favorite Song: Bodies

92