An absolutely gorgeous new album release from Simone Tang comes through with such a unique aesthetic and warmth that it has a way of wrapping itself around you and keeping you right where it wants to.
The Things I Remember album goes through a lot of personal history and stories, inner thought and emotionally driven character but the way that it was recorded and put together gives it this super vintage aesthetic.
A lot of these tracks have the feel and sound of something that was recorded decades ago and when I say that I mean in the 30s, or even 40s. It's got that super old school vintage tonality to it and that was done on purpose to give the songs this beautiful feeling.
I find this to be such a brilliant move because it makes the record unique and stand out because normally you would hear a record like this that was recorded with such a crisp, clean, and very polished approach but this one comes through much differently.
I feel like this is because a lot of these songs are chapters in the artists a life and to her, they are memories indeed so, the songs come through tonally like memories as well. Not incredibly clear but slightly fuzzy. Still warm and engulfing, but there's a distance there. You have to reach for those memories. And that's how the songs sound as well.
Such a cool idea.
This record is outstanding and speaks volumes for Simone has an artist and how she puts together an album. She doesn't really tend to what you expect or what other people would expect really.
This is an album that's done for her. She needed to do this because there are things throughout the record that she needed to express and get off of her chest, whether positive or negative.
The guitar work on this is beautiful and again, the whole aesthetic is of incredibly classic folk.
You do also get some Americana vibes especially in the guitar work, but a lot of that vintage folk sound lets the record come through even more impactful than if it was all super polished up and right in your face.
I cannot express how much I love the way the songs themselves sound like memories. This is something I haven't heard before.
Her vocals are beautiful, and all performed with such a graceful approach and an authentic tone.
Sometimes they are angelic and sometimes they're a little haunting, but they're always real.
There's a lot of beauty and layers to this record and it's very alluring and enticing because with each song you get another piece of Simone and it's fun to let that unfold and unwrap it as it comes.
There are some surprises around the corners of the album, there is a robust and gorgeous level of personality that comes through with each and every song, and it feels amazing to really soak this whole record in so I would suggest listening to it in full.
There are certainly songs that stand out as singles to me, but, listening to the whole album from beginning to end is the best way to really drink this in because that's what it was meant for.
You getting told stories. You're getting chapters in someone's life and that's an important thing to swim through because she's letting you do it.
This is music served as a pure form of art and that is a big piece of why it's so addictive.
The record is 11 Tracks and spends about 30 minutes or so and throughout those 30 minutes you're getting a lot of that personality, those memories, those inner thoughts, those perspectives, and those stories.
By the time you're done with this record you almost feel like you've lived a piece of another life, and I find that amazing.
This is a brand-new record released right now, and I would strongly suggest you go dive into it and let it affect you how it does because it will have an effect on you.
I think a lot of other people will receive this record the way that I did and if you listen to the album with headphones on you can really pick up a lot.
Dive into this album as soon as you can and find out what Tamar Berk is all about.
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