Recommended Tracks: “conversations”, “psychoanalyze (feat. KANNER)”, “feel something at all”
Artists You May Like: jxdn, girlfriends, 44phantom
While immersing us in a whirlwind of hyperactive riffs, existential undercurrents, and visceral percussion, 93FEETOFSMOKE (Marciel Bauer) rises above the noise as a cerebral lyricist on his latest album ALTAR74. A cavernous poet showing the depths and bends of his psyche, this ten track collection is a profile on 93FEETOFSMOKE’s breathless chase for fulfillment in the chokehold of a superficial world. After his recent tour alongside Travis Mills’ band Girlfriends, 93FEETOFSMOKE is ready to stand on his own two feet in the shadow of his inner-villain on ALTAR74.
This is an album that comes down to one word; clash. Between atmospheric rumination and earth-shaking frustration, his inner-voice and authenticity, and overstimulation and numbness. 93FEETOFSMOKE will be the first to admit that these tug-of-wars get the best of him. On track 3, “conversations”, he explodes, “Too far gone to quit right now and my head it keeps on spinning – conversations that I just can’t tune out.” Lurking beneath the industrial coal of burgeoning electrics are poignant diamonds of truth. 93FEETOFSMOKE’s genius is that he uses clash to build the friction that ultimately leads him to self-discovery.
Every cathartic conundrum on ALTAR74 is balanced by its lyrical other half. The volcanic outro on “conversations” bleeds right into the acoustic-ether first taste of fourth track “chewing on my tongue”. The centerfold songs of the album, “chewing on my tongue”, “agoraphobia”, and “psychoanalyze”, are soft moments of unfiltered purity where he eats his lyrics raw. “psychoanalyze” features KANNER, a seasoned songwriter and on the rise artist. KANNER croons, “Send me a poem, I’ll read between the lines. The ink is spilling over with what you didn’t write.” There’s a potency of dark imagination and “what if” pitfalls of despair that guide 93FEETOFSMOKE’s conscience throughout the album, especially so on “psychoanalyze”.
The closing track of the album “feel something at all” is an unbridled push through the ceiling of monotony. 93FEETOFSMOKE wants to break free. That desire is what allows his music to fall off the deep end of normalcy into uncharted wilds. He sings, “I’m obsessed with the mess, yeah there’s beauty in the stress – build it up, burn it down, watch it settle on the ground. Take the good with the bad, I’ll take anything you have if it makes me feel something – makes me feel something at all.” Perhaps the best part of “feel something at all” is the conversation that happens at the peak of the chorus; 93FEETOFSMOKE layers two vocals on top of each other creating the effect that he’s battling his inner-voice, and by the end of the track, he comes out on top.
ALTAR74 is a study on medium, particularly how alt-trap and pop-punk can surface the depths of emotion. By rejecting expectations the world has put on his shoulders, 93FEETOFSMOKE has uncovered a treasure within himself and he shares the wealth in his lyrics. This album made me think about identity, just as 93FEETOFSMOKE did while writing it, and gave me grit I needed to contemplate myself. From the moment I pressed play, I was enthralled in 93FEETOFSMOKE’s unique worldview which he captured seamlessly in his chords of ferocity and reality-biting vocals.
ALTAR74 is available for stream on your favorite streaming service or you can listen to it on Spotify now.
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