Emerging NY musician Sydmac is not new to us and has gifted us in the past with a handful of singles. In his new album The False Self and The Vase, he presents a profound conceptual project that deals with reflective and introspective themes and also touches on love, heartbreak, loss and socially conscious topics.
The production on “Bring the Love” is crisp and bouncy and the fusion of dance with R&B works well with the theme of love. He employs a straightforward, easy-to-follow flow tinged with subtle melodies and an overarching playful energy. As the title suggests, it sees Sydmac pining for something and the self-belief of making things happen, in this case, it’s love.
“Walking Out” centers around lust, distraction and discipline. Over a mellow atmospheric and soulful soundscape, Sydmac delivers an introspective-filled performance as he battles his demons and the external gremlins that try to throw a monkey wrench in his works. Throughout the track, we see him struggle to find his true North as the enthralling voices continue to lead him astray, but before he completely loses the plot he finds a ray of life in the next track “The Meeting.” The lofi-soul track comprises ethereal textures and punchy drums and is filled with Sydmac’s vulnerabilities as he seeks assistance to find himself. He acknowledges his mistakes and the decisions that got him here but while the answers are not clear, he is able to at least understand the questions that beguile him so that is a great starting point. Next is “Sadness” a self-reflective tune that digs deep into Sydmac’s psyche as he runs through his experiences and how his perspective of life has changed over the years. Here, he sounds forthcoming and unapologetic with lines like “That’s selfish of me, thinking everything is gonna be good/I’m in the basement performing I’m out the hood/The eye sees past the visual, they looking good/Fake it till you make it, we just pretend till we good.”
“Bread and Circuses” is a thought-provoking and scathing look at his environment and how the powers that be continue to overlook and silence the voices of the masses. Over the eerie and solemn vocal sample-driven backdrop, Sydmac looks at the domino effect of poor social-political policies, the rise of social media and distractions that have aided the crumbling society. Next is “Surmise,” where he once again looks within as he searches for his true life purpose and implores listeners to do the same. Similar themes are explored in “Indecision” as he continues to follow his dreams, but self-doubt and indecisions creep in to throw him off balance. Fighting the intrusive thoughts with all he can muster with lines like “Indecisions my enemy, paralyze my mind/It won’t let me be/I’m lost in the mix/trying to find my way.” Other notable tracks include the heartfelt “Barter Love,” the moody “Manage It” and the punchy soul/boombap-infused “The Day After The Night.” These tracks are threaded by themes of rocky relationships, self-growth and backsliding into addictions. Here, we get different sides to what makes him tick and we get to see his flaws and raw emotions. The final track “Reminisce” is as moody and solemn as they come and talks about severing the tumultuous past to move on to better things.
Overall The False Self and The Vase as a concept album is cohesive and threaded with engaging and relatable stories. Sydmac doesn’t mind sharing his truth most candidly. The fusion of different genres is also a bonus which brings refreshing elements to the music while Syd’s rich songwriting and dense lyricism take the cake.
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