Breakups are tough, but Stinkus harnessed those emotions with a beautiful blend of folk, rock, and pop into his debut 14-track album “23”. After massive success with his projects with other bands such as WILD, Girlhouse, Smallpools, The Mowgli’s, Timothy Edward Carpenter, Jon Bryant, and more, this multi-talented artist sat down and created an album himself. “23” packs a punch of raw authenticity, showcasing Stinkus’s way of coping with the aftermath of an abusive relationship.
“I Am” opens the album with heartfelt acoustic guitar, where the heaviness of the singer’s heart is felt with every strum. Stinkus lets his vocals flow freely, releasing the bottled-up painful emotions he is experiencing. The same can be observed in “Fucked Up Song,” where the artist says, “doesn’t matter if the song is a piece of fucking shit,” reflecting the raw feelings he was experiencing at the moment, without trying hard to create a TV-ready polished song. This track began with stable vocals and guitar strumming, later increasing in pitch towards the end of the song, reflecting roaring pain being released. Tracks like “Not Like Dying” and “Gone For Good” have similar feelings.
“Star” is a short instrumental track layered with a distinctive echoing sound that represents the feeling of “deadly silence,” where one’s anguish is so much that tears do not flow anymore. All you can do is sit silently, feeling the excruciating pain in your chest. “23” is the title track of this album; laden with heavy moods, this track explores themes of the foolishness of youth through Stinkus’s emotive lyrical storytelling.
“23” is not just an album filled with tracks; it is an escape for the artist to be free from the prison of his emotions by breaking the chains and letting it all out through his vocals and guitar. It is also an escape for his audience, who resonates deeply with the lyrics told.
Listen to “23” by Stinkus now to experience soul-stirring art birthed from one’s pain.
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Review by Aria Cohen