Wesley Joseph releases his debut album Forever Ends Someday this week.
Wesley has been quietly building his name for several years with his mix of R n B, soul and rap and Forever Ends Someday builds on this now distinctive sound of his, combining it with deeper storytelling to create a very promising debut.
Speaking on the album he shares “I looked in the mirror more than I ever have with this record,” he says. “It unexpectedly became a coming of age album. I was reaching from different periods in my life and into the present – some songs were cinematic snapshots, others sobering realities or romanticised memories. Dreaming has always been a raincoat from reality and making the record allowed things to be processed in the real world”
The result is a 13 track journey into Wesley’s world, spanning genres and styles and taking you through moments in his life to this point.
“This record is a product of my musical DNA,” he says. “It feels original because it’s not trying to fit in one space – it’s all my influences at once. I grew up with soul music and r&b being played around the house, I’ve never not had rap music around me, and as I got older I spent a lot of time in my headphones getting lost on the internet – which led to a love of everything from electronic music to psychedelic records.”
“Lyrically these songs are all scenes, colours, feelings and moments in my life that I’ve caught at their most poignant and dramatised into song.” he continues. “Music has always been an honest place for me, It’s an escape from the world but when it came to writing this, I went inwards.”
So, I’ve listened to the first half of this album probably 6 times more than the second half because something compelled me to keep starting it from the beginning every time I listened (and I didn’t always make it to the end). There’s something about the album that just feels like it’s a package you have to explore all together. It’s the way Wesley Joseph’s voice is so central in each song, combining with the unique soundscape he’s created along with the rich vein of storytelling that runs through each track. The album delves into his childhood memories and teenage years alongside the present moment – it’s like each song is a different chapter of a longer story. It’s very reminiscent of Lil Nas X’s Montero in that sense, you lose some of the impact of each song if you don’t experience the feelings created by the others around it.
It’s something I really enjoyed about the album. There was also some great lyrical phrasing in there too. For example, the way the lyric “Heavy weight still on my shoulder, least it’s also on my necklace” on Distant Man is delivered makes it really hit. And I like how those moments are used sparingly across the tracks. It’s more about storytelling than it is about lyrical word play, and that’s an important distinction that Wesley Joseph has recognised. If that balance had been different it would have taken away from the depth of the record. I think this is another way in which drawing on those broader influences outside of rap has really strengthened this element of the record.
There are a few moments where the production isn’t perfect. Occasions where the drums are a bit too harsh against the soulful lyrics, or where there’s a bit too much going on within a song, but that’s a debut album for you and on balance there are far more great tracks on there than missteps.
It’s hard to pick out individual tracks i enjoyed because it’s not that sort of release. Manuka is one that stuck with me though. The electronic elements on this are used really well and I like the way the track takes a sudden switch halfway through, like the first half is him holding everything inside and then it’s just released. The emotional July featuring Jorja Smith is another beautiful, vulnerable number. I also liked the aforementioned Distant Man. It’s a strong opener for the album and one of the more ‘typical’ rap tracks on the album. I think it sets the stall well for what to expect and it’s as if there’s still some bravado at this point and then the softer, more vulnerable tracks emerge as you get deeper into the album.
It’s overall an incredibly enjoyable release. Wesley Joseph put some considerable time into this record and it shows.
Listen to Forever Ends Someday here.