SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CLOSETJUDAS – SONDER

CLOSETJUDAS
SONDER
INDEPENDENT

Mike Powell is a musician from Mississauga, ON, now residing in Manitoba where he records under the name closetjudas. SONDER is his most recent release, following his 2022 album, ENTELECHY.

Although “simulacra + the supermarine” is not the opening track, it does set the scene for the entire album. Musically, closetjudas is actually very accessible, in a Flaming Lips kind of way. While the albums are far from conventional, they are quite melodic and feature some fine playing from Powell.

This is a rock album with a story, and listening to this album feels a little like reading the last few chapters of a book. SONDER is a very enjoyable album in its own right. A song such as “sonder and leaving presently ii” is a great rocker and wraps up the story. The song is chaotic, it rocks, and he is almost yelling the lyrics rather than singing. It is not rap, it is as if struggling to be heard over the loud music. It works on many levels. The song is the conclusion of the first song on the album, “leaving, presently ii”. Once again, this song is pure energy

closetjudas is a very interesting artist. Powell is certainly talented and creates both unique and original music. It is sort of science fiction meets social change meets personal insights, all wrapped up with extremely good music. SONDER is yet another fascinating release and fits very nicely with his other albums. What is next for closetjudas?

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