Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
A meandering but quite satisfying slew of beats, a smooth vocal, and a solid lyrical construct – all the ingredients one needs to make the perfect pop treat, but unless arranged properly, these elements can be utterly worthless even to the most open of fans. Philosopher Pirate knows that the modern standard for pop music is exponentially higher than it was just a generation ago; hence his new single “Raven” has a bit more edge than the status quo calls for.
There’s a folk sensibility that intersects with the traditional pop faceting just beneath the surface in this song that immediately clues us into how seriously Philosopher Pirate takes the foundations of his songcraft, but beyond this, he keeps the actual fluidity of the music pure and unfettered by unnecessary aesthetical accents. There’s an argument to be made that “Raven” has a much more clandestine hook than its singer needs to utilize to sound like a total boss at the helm of this material, but that said, there’s no denying that this songwriter knows how to get punchy when and where it counts the most – starting, of course, with its inelegant swing.
This groove has got to be one of the most immersive elements I’ve heard in an underground pop release this year, but it’s also cultivated with such an ear for conservatism that you’ve got to question who hates overindulgence more; Philosopher Pirate or the scores of critics who have raged against excess in this genre for the last ten years plus. The bassline isn’t interrupting our vocalist’s flow with a lot of abrasive texture, which is a nice change of pace from the majority of the content I’ve been reviewing out of this player’s scene since the start of 2023.
I think it’s pretty obvious that this isn’t an artist who wants to be heavily associated with a specific trend or scene within the industry today, but instead a collective movement towards purities in pop music that some had foolishly believed to be impossible to develop in the 2020s. There’s never too much of any one component in this track, and if anything this tethers him more to the minimalism his peers are embracing than it does anything the throwback players have been trying to put on store shelves.
It’s been a good year for the American underground, no question about it, and a lot of this has to do with the moxie artists like Philosopher Pirate are bringing to the table whenever they have the chance to record something fresh and original. There isn’t a lot of room for error when it comes to making a name for yourself at this level of the music business, but despite all of the pressure, this isn’t a musician who seems to be preoccupied with all of the negative possibilities sitting on the other side of a release – he’s on a mission here, and he’s ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make his dreams come true before the audience.
Julie Blankenship
