Sometimes you listen to music that is so good that you can’t even tell what has made you so spellbound by it. This couldn’t be truer for Graffiti Welfare’s music. The Denver-based alternative psych-pop artist has crafted a genuinely unique and rare sound that transcends mere listening. As you experience it, you’re left questioning the quality of the music you’ve been listening to all this time.
The kind of music you are about to experience from his 10-track debut album, “Revolving Shores,” is unlike any other you have listened to…and I know you’re like, blah blah, I have listened to many unique artists, but I have not made this much noise…trust me, as soon as you listen to “Revolving Shores”, you’ll be raving all about it, you will not shut up telling your friends about it and you’ll definitely understand why unique expressions are indeed their own rare arts of perfection (if that even makes sense at all!)
I listen to a lot of unique artists from genres I didn’t even know existed, but it’s not every Monday that I listen to music that takes me around in circles, and I mean literally! One minute I’m flying up on the moon, and the other minute I just want to be left all by myself, meditating seriously with the headphones plugged in and a telling facial expression unvoicedly plastered with the sign “Do not disturb!”
And to think that the passing away of Graffiti Welfare’s grandparents inspired this…I know it’s probably evil to think about it, but sometimes good things happen in incredible, terrible, and unfathomably sad situations!
“To Be It” qualifies to be described as dynamic and unexpected at times. That lush, ethereally fulfilling, and soothing intro echoes a sound of captivating quality. I feel that yoga lessons could do with this type of music, couldn’t they? This is the kind of unheard-of masterpiece that really gets to you!
And the way it has been lovingly arranged…transcending at every turn with the integration of new ideas, including the cinematic vocals at some point that are more spoken than sung—such musical improvisation if you ask me!
“Just Follow” features some dreamy background vocals with mood-evoking quality instrumentation that you’d call hypnotic. And I have to mention that it features a very evocative, drum-inspired kick beat. The truth of the matter is, you’re left wishing the track was a bit longer, at least to get caught up in that marvelous drowsy feeling that you don’t want to snap out of…this hits like crack if that is still a thing (vocabulary changes with time, and I’ve had my fair share with age and this Gen Z!).
For it to qualify as poetic, you just have to crank the volume all the way up to “Volume,” because there is no other way you’d rather have it—this is straight-up fiery with some deep driving and cranky beats backed by the ethereally floating vocals. And to clear things up, if you ever leave the television on with the volume all the way up when I try to get some sleep and risk me waking up terrified and petrified, you and I are going to have a problem…who do you think I am—invincible like Graffiti Welfare? (Okay, don’t mind it!)
And let’s agree on one thing or choose to agree to disagree later, “DejaBlue” is music from another century that has been custom-made to fit into this world, and I guess it works…if not, consider me a beyond redemption lunatic!
There is listening to music and then there is experiencing it; “Graffiti Welfare” and “Revolving Shores” fit the latter!
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