Arjay Smith- Old Man Rookie Instrumentals, Pt.1, Fives Up
Look no further than Arjay Smith to find a composer who can tell stories through melodies. This is an artist, author, voice artist, husband and father who lives his life through these facets. Why is it important, you ask? The clarity and emotional bind in his music will explain it to you. This is his latest album release, Old Man Rookie Instrumentals, Pt.1, Fives Up. It is important to not have any expectations while opening this album up. Well, the title is pretty straight forward. The only edit I’d like to make is the term rookie. Arjay Smith delivers class and emotion with the kind of ambiences and beats he uses. No overpowering bass, no cluttered vocals. The groove is tantamount to the spine of the songs. This can be experienced in the opening number, Afta-U. Classical notes shift through generous chord progressions that implore you, diving into the atmosphere he manufactures so well. If you’re thinking of video and movie plots while listening to his music, you aren’t the only one. Space in Time is encouraging of that, gentle, calming instrumental parts. As they pair with R&B beats that have a bold presence, the nature of the song comes out well. When the groove reaches a saturation, an almost intangible switch up seems to trigger from Arjay Smith. It shows how he enjoys music, how his family does too. Dead Pres. has the kind of click that dissolves you in time and space. There is an emotional rubber band that keeps bringing you to the origin, yet you’re free to be tethered in space. You will love enjoying the grooves implored by the composer, while paying close attention to the minimal changes. These are the kind of auras many people seek, but artists don’t deliver. Arjay does it with a passion, which is clearly palpable. The Survival (9 to 5), has a levity in comment about your daily life. The monotony is represented, yet are the minor changes to each day. If you pay attention to the percussion, it is more obvious that the experimentation and layering lies there. Arjay Smith makes an album that is not only dear to him, but his thorough understandings of the cogs in life are visibly represented. Or must I say aurally. Boom bap’tism closes out the EP in spectacular style. Perhaps in this ever-expanding canvas of people making music, there is a challenge to do too much to stand out. The tales told by Arjay by doing just enough are paramount to this album’s success. I would definitely imagine this in Spike Lee’s movie, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth (2013). The ease of the song movement makes it possible to explore in so many independent films. Listen to the album above and follow Arjay for more like this!
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