This year has been a very hard one for a lot of us. James Gardin is using these current hard times to inspire art, and to document his journey through those times on his new album I Probably Wrote This While Crying.
Straight away you can tell this is going to be a good album when the first track ‘All My Life’ kicks in. The song has some serious Drake during the Take Care Era vibes. Only in sound, lyrically this discusses a much deeper subject matter than your average Drake song.
There are a couple of interludes on the album the first one is the ‘Why I Write Interlude’ which is the next track. Gardin explains on this one why he writes, telling us that he primarily writes for himself. Also that if he’s going through a certain thing probably other people have been as well and perhaps they can relate or find help in what he produces.
This album is best described as Alternative Indie R&B, although it probably can shuffle backwards into a couple of other boxes. As the record develops listeners will find themselves nodding their heads in agreement with his revelations. They’ll be things you don’t quite get in the first listen but will jump out at you the more times you spin the record.
Stand out songs include ‘I See You’ a song that mixes talking about feeling sad with positive affirmations. As he talks to the man in the mirror about recognising his own self worth we can all definitely relate to this feeling. Another song that grabs you is ‘Most Of My Friends Are Stuck on the Internet’ clever lyrics and an upbeat backing track makes this one a real winner.
Gardin who also produced this album has managed to create something unique and motivating. Which was the aim as he hoped the album would help people to “Love louder and live a more courageous life.”
“This record is a vulnerable journey through the trials and tribulations that come with working through mental wellness and learning to love who you are inside and out.”
James Gardin
He has got it right on the nose because that’s exactly what this album does. You’ll leave a session listening to it feeling braver and ready to take on anything, even just for a fleeting moment. Its truly inspiring and we urge you to listen to it as soon as possible.
Listen to the album below and see what you think
