Simon Safhalter – In Transit
Simon Safhalter – In Transit – EP Review
This chameleon!
It’s almost odd to remember Simon Safhalter in a way, considering the fact that he’s continually doing something new with his music and morphing his sound so much more than the rest out there tend to. In a world where the majority of artists and bands are trying their hardest to establish some kind of identity in their career so that people know who the heck they are, Safhalter’s identity has always come out in a much more abstract way through his music. As in, if you couldn’t guess what you were listening to, it’s probably Simon. That’s right! Even if you didn’t think he was on your playlist, he was probably just hiding in the shadows of it, waiting patiently for his moment in the cycle of your random algorithm.
He likes a whole lot of things, and I appreciate that, because I do too. Rather than load up a playlist with ten different artists and bands to get the diversity I’m looking to listen to, I can just put Simon’s music on and call it a day instead, you know what I mean? Plus, when it comes to Safhalter’s tunes, you’ve got the advantage of listening to an artist that never phones it in, no matter what kind of song he’s created. For real – this dude commits. Whether he’s spittin’ bars, creating electro-beats, or goin’ analog, he puts the same high level of effort into what he’s up to…and really, ain’t that all we could ever ask of the artists and bands we listen to? Personal taste is always going to dictate what we like or what we love, but you can only get a shot at making any kind of impression on listening ears by putting in the work. Simon will never let you down in that regard. We learned that through listening to his last record called One Level Deeper Than The Rest, and it certainly sounds like he holds true to that standard on In Transit.
Like, for instance, you’ve got “Gone Forever” at the start of this new EP, which pretty much defies any kind of accurate description or being assigned to any specific genre or category. Some folks out there need to know what it is they’re listening to in order to be able to enjoy it – similar to how we ‘eat with our eyes’ – people feel safer by knowing what they’re in-store for ahead of time almost all the time, but not me. For me, I hear the gothic way that “Gone Forever” starts out, and I know full well that it ain’t going to stay this way…that’s just not how Simon’s music works, you know what I mean? Soon enough, he’ll switch up the vibe, which he does by shifting out of this epic start into a more tangible Electro-based sound that’s fueled by the energy of Punk & spirited Pop melodies. In addition to adding in some Rap for good measure, because hey, why not right? Simon can accomplish more within three minute’s worth of time than most artists you’ll ever put onto your playlists. That diversity I was referring to earlier? Not only does he supply that as an artist, or through a combination of songs on a record – he can also provide that sonic versatility you’re craving in a single track if he wants to! Exhibit A is “Gone Forever” – and listening to him transition from part to part with such flawless precision is a genuine treat. He’s creating exciting fusion in music that certainly satisfies my A.D.D., and I suspect that if you’re the restless type like I am, and you need a whole lot of sound in your diet day after day, that Safhalter will readily supply your ears with what they’re craving. Love the way this track drifts into its ending too.
Like his last record proclaimed, he’s One Level Deeper Than The Rest, and I felt like he proved that quickly on this new EP by his departure into “Alleyway.” On a first or second spin through In Transit, it’s likely going to take an adjustment on the listening end to fully get a grasp on how crucial this cut is to the lineup, or really even just appreciate how remarkable this song truly is. Even though the finale of “Gone Forever” slows things down so that we’ve got the opportunity to adjust to whatever comes next, I still think it’ll take a spin or two at least to completely understand how much has gone into “Alleyway” or accept it on the same level we readily absorb the EP’s opening tune. Soon enough though, I promise “Alleyway” will work its magic on ya, and eventually you’ll be as hooked on it as I am I’d imagine. I even went through a couple spins before I settled on believing that “Alleyway” was actually much more of a song suited to my taste than “Gone Forever” even was. Is it the absence of Rap? I’m not ruling that out. It’d be a weird addition by subtraction though, know what I mean? I listen to the blistering speed of his bars on “Gone Forever” and I’m nothing but impressed…but I gotta admit, “Alleyway” seems to benefit a bit more by not having so many variables in its structure and being somewhat more straightforward, at least for Simon. It’s not like you won’t find a tremendous amount of variation and versatility in this second cut – you will – but you’ll also get what I mean…it’s at the very least, somewhat closer towards what you’d consider to be a structure you can wrap your mind around in a more traditional sense. That being said – LISTEN to that final pivot, where he shifts into the finale of “Alleyway” around the 2:10 mark will ya? Because THAT moment, dear readers, dear friends, is the textbook definition of MONUMENTAL. It’s like Safhalter is kind enough to allow us a split second to catch our breath or brace ourselves before he explodes into the final chapter of “Alleyway” – I absolutely LOVE that moment of this second cut, and felt like that was the real key that unlocked how I feel about it now. The staggering level of detail you’ll find in “Alleyway” is nothing short of award-worthy to begin with whether you’re examining the production or the performance – but listening to him build up to that spot at the 2:10 mark and unleash the epic sound that follows is truly something to behold. “Alleyway” is powerfully authentic at all times.
The main tie-in between the sounds you’ll find on this particular record from Simon would be that use of gothic/orchestral vibes he’s been playin’ around with most of these songs – three of’em got a dose of that in the mix somewhere along the way. Which makes “So Familiar” somewhat interesting to me. On one hand, I’m convinced that between the design of the melody in the music and the vocals together, he’s probably got the most single-worthy tune of the set with this third tune, and likely the most accessible too…at least potentially. I don’t know that the orchestral sound was necessarily the perfect choice to guide this song…I feel like I kind of went back & forth about that aspect of “So Familiar” as I listened to it. With that being a plug-n-play part of the tune, I’d probably continue to experiment with what other sounds could possibly take over that part of “So Familiar” – right now it works, don’t get me wrong…I suppose what I’m wondering is whether or not there’s something that might work out even better. It’s the main supplier of rhythm in this tune, and it can certainly be effective at points along the way, but I found that the more sparse the music became in some of the verses, like around the fifty-five second mark for example, I wasn’t as sure that there was quite enough there in that specific sound, or that it didn’t need just a little more to go along with it to be a bit more fulfilling I guess. Trust me, there isn’t a whole lot where I could advise Simon to do much better than he’s already doing, and I’m careful to not just invent things out of thin air…so again, what he’s got in “So Familiar” definitely works well to a degree – but yeah, part of me still wonders if there’s a way for him to make this track stand out even more than it already does. Overall, the energy he’s working with from verse to chorus is definitely right where he wants it to be – the performance he puts into this song pulls us right in and the design of the song itself is perfect – it’s the sound selection that I’m wondering about more than anything else here is all. At its most full, I don’t really feel like I question it at all – when it dials back a bit on the ingredients, that’s when I start to wonder if there’s enough in the mix to keep the masses invested. Then I listen to the things he’s doin’ with the bass in the mix around the 1:35 mark and I’m genuinely in awe of his creativity…so again, don’t get it twisted – he’s doing plenty of things right in this song, I’m simply wondering out loud if there’s a way to raise the stakes of “So Familiar” even more. I maintain, it’s likely the most accessible track on the EP already as it is now…so believe me, there is lots going right here. Hooks-wise, I think he’s probably got the most memorable & catchy part you’ll find in any track on this record through the chorus of this song, and ultimately, that suggests he shouldn’t change a damn thing.
With ice-like sounds drippin’ outta your speakers on “Rewrite,” Simon finishes off his latest EP on a more subtle energy than it started out with for sure, which creates a very conclusive ending to this new record. He reminds me a lot of Styrofoam on this last cut, and anyone that knows me well knows that’s among the highest of compliments. Safhalter establishes his main differences through the way he delivers the verses, but when it comes to the main hooks, that’s a very Styrofoam-esque type of sound that was explored throughout his records like A Thousand Words and Nothing’s Lost. “Rewrite” is still a hybrid track like the majority of Simon’s music tends to be, with half of it being somewhat subdued Rap & the other half rooted in a fairly standard light Pop/Rock demeanor…and all created with Electro beats and ideas leading the way in the music. I appreciate this track…I like the contemplative sound that it has to it and the way that it moves. My gut tells me that it’ll have to fight for its share of the attention when it comes to this particular lineup of four songs, but that’s okay…I think that’s often the nature of subtle sounds in comparison to tracks that naturally have more energy to them when they appear in the same lineup. Eventually, a song like “Rewrite” gets its due credit with listeners out there…it might not be right away in the first set of spins, but it will come. Simon Safhalter does everything he does with quality in mind, and is always careful to create immersive experiences in sound that are well worth listening to. In Transit is another solid addition to his growing catalog that speaks confidently on behalf of his hybrid creativity, his dedication to the craft, and his ability to make songs that’ll move you in a variety of ways.
Find out more about Simon Safhalter from his official page at Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/SimonSafhalterMusic
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