More about: Wesley Joseph

There are few better artists at the moment who have the capability to navigate their way through difficult themes of love, loss, anxiety and joy than Wesley Joseph. Returning with his latest offering in the form of his Secretly Canadian debut GLOW, the artist has showcased his range across songwriting, performing, and production in what is his most honest creation yet that has set him on a path to become a global talent. 

Influenced by the harmonious Northern soul that the artist’s father had raised him on, the album opens with title track ‘GLOW’, a sharp and beautiful curation that combines Joseph’s mesmerising voice with a blissful harp melody, in a production that sets the tone for what is to come. Much is the case for any strong auteur that fuses elements of different mediums together, the narrative unfolds to reveal a slightly darker mood in the form of ‘MONSOON’. Co-produced by A.K. Paul, the track delves into the complex themes of grief, whilst maintaining the similar harmonious vocals, before the body of work then turns to ‘SUGAR DIVE’, a song that pairs a delicate Curtis Mayfield-esque soul sound with a garage beat over it, further proving Joseph’s confidence and musical know-how. 

Moreover, ‘COLD SUMMER’ sees Joseph singing from the point of view of a supervillain, dressed over film-score strings and the idea that stems from the concept into the video accompaniment feels akin to a post-Tarantino film shot in Kazakhstan. With each song telling its individual respective story, whilst simultaneously abiding with the story constructed, ‘HIATUS’ feels like a powerful note-to-self for the artist, an ironic muse depicting that Wesley has never seen himself take a break from what he has created within his craft, as he explains: “I pride myself on the worlds that I’ve created in my songs. The progressions and the changes and the emotions are never linear. There are always dualities that exist for people to interpret in different ways.” To which the brilliant project closes out with ‘LIGHT LIGHT’; a song with an ever so slightly more subdued sound, essentially acting as the closing scene to the perfect narrative curated by the cultural creative.

Joseph is one of those artists where it has become almost impossible to keep your eyes and ears away from, because if you look away even briefly, you may miss another artistic masterclass. When a young artist is coined a ‘visionary’ in their respective field, often it can be reactionary to the times, and occasionally a case of entire misprofiling, however, in the case of Wesley Joseph, this term feels entirely appropriate. GLOW is fresh, fulfilling, and gratifies a variety of different needs that can only be fuelled by the artistic mediums of music and visual arts. 

GLOW is out now

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More about: Wesley Joseph