Picture yourself on a plane and the announcement to fasten your seatbelts happens. That is Wire Cutter (Intro) on Time Bomb Season by Butterfly Haus. Our New Jersey-based Nigerian singer-rapper has such a knack for storytelling. He plays with several tones and textures that has the album gurgling with life and meaning. Butterfly collaborates with Osaze Akerejah, royLT, Turner Johnson, Audie OPM, Yahzarah and kkimmestry in this one.
The album has ten songs, each carefully weaving a story chapter by chapter. Time Bomb Season has the backdrop of war. In One Step Forward Two Steps Back, he unravels and lets us in completely. The product of an artist truly showing themselves in their art is that the listeners feel seen. It happens more often than not in Time Bomb Season. Though Butterfly’s life experiences are unique, there is undoubtedly a connection we feel with his music.
I’m Up and Butterfly Haus
In I’m Up, we hear him play with a new set of warm tones of music. We hear percussion take the forefront here. They play like battle drums signalling either the start of the war or the surrender. He speaks of love as if he were a soldier at war. We see this even in If and When. Where he tries and frees himself from the ache of a breakup.
Butterfly moves us with a mixture of a combination of tunes in the album and a mixture of vibes. While the subject matter of most songs is heavy it is placed with warm beats as backdrops, this juxtaposition is interesting. That is until we get to Blue Marble Gamble.
Blue Marble Gamble
Blue Marble Gamble is a track that oddly holds. The entire album plays with vocal texture and effects. But in this one, it’s more evident when we hear Osaze Akarejah say “Countless moments I’ve spent running, it’s so regal.”. The song deals with someone who can’t live with themselves due to varied reasons and is running away. Butterfly’s voice comes in like a hug and appreciates your strength and choice.
Men, Women and Children is a film that deals with mental health across the spectrum. A core ideology of the film is communication, either too much of it (bordering surveillance) or too little of it. The film is an exquisite showcase of all sorts of relationships, from parental to romantic or the lack thereof as well. The entire album would be a perfect fit for the film as both deal with similar themes. It would be interesting to see how the playlist would affect the light moments as well.
Butterfly Haus has come through with his album. It gives hope to a large population and most definitely gives words to thoughts and feeling people so rarely express. The album feels like a precious labour of love that the world can now feast upon. You must check out Butterfly Haus and his work, he has some live shows coming up and his very own podcast that deals with mental health, physical health and life in general.
