speakeazie – Forsaken Melodies

speakeazie – Forsaken Melodies – EP Review

Alright…so…where did we leave off in the last chapter back in July of last year?  I mentioned speakeazie had one of the best songs of the year with her single “Love Me Wild, Love Me Crazy,” right?  I think that’s the way it went…I’d have to brush up on what I said in the previous review by clicking here, but I’m pretty damn sure that’s how I felt…and I’d stand by that even now for sure.  I was more than pleased to find out I hadn’t missed anything in between then and now, given that “Love Me Wild, Love Me Crazy” starts up her brand-new EP Forsaken Melodies, which just came out this past weekend officially at long last.  Finally!  I’ve really been looking forward to this record.  You’ve heard me ranting and raving over “Love Me Wild, Love Me Crazy” if you’ve been anywhere near my orbit, all for justified reasons of course – speakeazie’s mesmerizing vocals and magnetic personality make this first track all-out irresistible, and I feel just as strongly about it now as I did a year ago.  Make sure to click that link up above to find out more about it, and let’s move on to have a listen to what else she’s got loaded into this lineup of Forsaken Melodies.

Though I know it would be extremely tough to outdo a track like “Love Me Wild, Love Me Crazy” for myself personally, I’ve got faith in speakeazie getting real damn close, and that’s all I’m hoping for really.  As she started out with the vocalizations you’ll find on “Don’t Come Crying To Me” I knew we’d be on solid ground with this set-list of five tunes.  I’ll readily tell ya, this second track isn’t built on the same kind of noticeable hooks you’d find in her lead single from a year ago – instead, speakeasie IS the hook.  Believe me when I tell ya, that works.  I do think that it probably would have been to the song’s benefit to feature that opening set of vocalizations a bit more than it does – it will reappear, and it is the most tangible hook you’ll find melodically within “Don’t Come Crying To Me,” but alas, you’ll just have to keep on repeating this song if you want the true dose of it you deserve.  Other than that, this second track is largely built on an understated vibe and the relentlessly addictive sound of speakeazie’s voice.  Don’t get it twisted, that is more than enough to keep you completely engaged & entertained – I’d listen to this fine lady sing the phonebook out loud if she felt so inclined.  The uniqueness of speakeazie and the way she sings is practically second to none…it’s stunning, graceful, articulate…and yet, you’ll find this layer of true grit, artistic commitment, and unshakable conviction in her voice as well.  She’s really quite something to listen to…unforgettable really…there’s an enormous amount of identity in her signature sound, and in the long run of a music career, it’s her voice that’ll carry her the distance to longevity.  It seems fitting that it’s that very same feature that carries “Don’t Come Crying To Me” in the second cut.

I feel like she’s already got a tremendous grip on the kind of artist she wants to be & the sound that she wants to display from the music to the microphone.  Most of her material, even “Love Me Wild, Love Me Crazy,” plays with an understated vibe in the music, which gives her voice the opportunity to play the starring role, as it should.  “Never Hurt You Like You Hurt Me” is another perfect example – the music that you’ll hear is actually pretty damn brilliant if you ask me, but aside from the drum beat, it’s sunken in deep into the distance, allowing speakeazie to carry the majority of the weight of her material with her vocals.  You get the clearest glimpse of how rad the music really is within the intro & finale to “Never Hurt You Like You Hurt Me,” and in between, it’s mainly speakeazie’s voice that guides this song to the victory you’ll hear.  To work a recipe like this effectively, you HAVE to have a singer that has the X-factor, otherwise an approach like this would simply fall flat.  speakeazie clearly checks that box with a permanent marker – I’m still onboard with this lady being a complete superstar in the making.  I’d be interested if that opinion is shared universally for sure – are you all hearing what I’m hearing?  I can’t take my ears off her vocals, so personally, I’m stoked that it continues to be the main feature in the music she’s making.  I think she’s got some room to highlight the backing vocals and her music even more in the future to follow as she continues to evolve in her art & craft, but don’t get it twisted – I’m absolutely loving what I hear from her as it is already.  “Never Hurt You Like You Hurt Me” shows that her stylistic voice is continually potent & inherently addictive to listen to…her vocals are pure art y’all.

“Day Drink Till I Feel Ok” is one of those tracks that really makes you stop and consider the words for a moment or two.  So many of the most unique and incredible artists of our time have passed before they should have by leaning on substance…you have to at least wonder if speakeazie would be on a similar path in listening to a song like “Day Drink Till I Feel Ok.”  Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always be an advocate for the anti-sober amongst us – I think there is an indisputable line you can draw between substantial art and substances of all kinds, and lord knows I’ve been down just about every road in that regard myself – so again, I ain’t here to judge.  I’m just listening to the words, and I’m reporting on what I hear is all…”Day Drink Till I Feel Ok” is the kind of track that should have you at least thinking about an artist like speakeazie’s future ahead, and collectively, we should hope that she gets to where she wants to go with her music.  “Day Drink Till I Feel Ok” probably has the most tangible hooks in the songwriting since what we heard on “Love Me Wild, Love Me Crazy” when it comes right down to it, and even still, you’ll find that the majority of what you experience in this fourth tune is built around the beat and her voice.  speakeazie is able to do a whole lot with a little – the whole vibe is pretty much based in minimalism, but she’s achieving maximum results with it.  That’s because she’s a generational talent dear readers, dear friends…and I can only hope that she recognizes that as much as I do.  I ain’t gonna be the one to ever tell you to not day drink until you feel okay as long as the music is still flowing and that remains the priority, you dig?  speakeazie’s got a voice and style of her own that most artists would kill to have.  I feel like she nailed every moment of “Day Drink Till I Feel Ok,” and with the addition of more tangible hooks for the average everyday listener to tap into, she gives songs like this every advantage they need to stand out even more.  I’m just saying we don’t want another Winehouse situation on our hands y’all, that’s it, that’s all…as long as we’re not headed for that, then drink up and celebrate your uniqueness speakeazie!  You’ve got the potential to seriously take over charts & playlists all around the globe, 100%.

Finishing things off with “When You Thought Of The Reasons,” I genuinely feel like she has cracked the bat throughout this whole lineup of five songs…Forsaken Melodies is every bit as stellar as I assumed that it would be.  The music plays a stronger role in this final tune, much like it did in the way that it began in fact…it’s fundamentally built on the same kind of DNA as “Love Me Wild, Love Me Crazy,” so clearly that works for me & I’m sure it’ll work for you too.  Everything I’ve experienced on Forsaken Melodies tells my ears and my gut that we’ve got a true superstar in the making here…I think she’s got incredible ideas, an iconic style of her own design, and speakeazie executes with astounding confidence & professionalism that you just can’t teach.  There is precious little advice anyone can ever give to an artist like her…ultimately, it’s going to be her own instincts that bring her to the top of the music scene, and we’ll all be on the sidelines cheering her on as she rises up, knowing that listening was the greatest support we could provide her with.  Because you don’t wanna risk tainting the uniqueness she has by offering advice that would simply make her end up sounding like anyone else, or doing things in ways that everyone else has already done’em – no.  You want to stand back & watch an artist like speakeazie blossom, evolve, and grow her own signature style…because no matter how great she already is, there’s always another level of greatness awaiting an artist like this.  I’m completely stoked on what I’ve heard throughout the course of Forsaken Melodies, and I already can’t wait to hear what she does with the next record…speakeazie has a dark & beautiful magic the rest just don’t have, and she’s destined for amazing things when it comes to her music career.  Feel free to quote me on that…the force is strong with this one y’all – speakeazie has the potential & talent it takes to shift the sound of the entire scene.

Find out more about speakeazie from her official website at:  https://www.speakeazie.com

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