SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JULIAN LAGE – SPEAK TO ME

JULIAN LAGE
SPEAK TO ME
BLUE NOTE

Julian Lage has released his latest album, Speak To Me. Finally, after almost two years since his previous studio album, here it is. Speak To Me embodies Lage’s best qualities as an artist, with the album feeling like a necessary leap for the artist.

The opening track, “Hymnal”, sets itself apart with majestic sounds and nice use of the guitar. A genius element of this track is the use of guitar and different types of build up throughout, which weave a unique receptiveness that flows quite well. The next song, “Northern Shuffle”, captures the attitude and flow of some classic rock songs but with no vocals. The little tricks on the guitar that give it a fresh life are what make it so unique. That is a nice way to describe this album. Breathing fresh life into a medium.

Most of the time, Speak To Me stands out thanks to the unique and often quite catchy sounds it aims for. It’s an album that works best when seen for what it is. If there was a standout that best accomplishes this, it would simply be the track named after the album, “Speak To Me,” which starts with a slower drift before unraveling itself into something much more.

Speak To Me is a work of sheer spectacle, featuring a delightful array of catchy sounds that feel like a refreshing innovation compared to his previous works. It’s difficult to identify any aspect of the production that relates to another. This is thanks to the variety on display at every turn. For a work of no sound, it is truly impressive how each track feels like it says more without it. In a plethora of songs, the instruments worked beautifully into each track, making each of them feel unique in their own way. Each song itself embodies a different attribute, which folds into this labyrinth known as Speak To Me.

Overall, Speak To Me, as a whole, adds even more vibrancy to Julian Lage’s discography while also fitting in well with another good body of work.

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