
Oaken Leeโs Home (is a folk-rock mixtape) captures the restless, tender, and sometimes haunting relationship we have with the idea of home. Melding acoustic guitar, field recordings, and modern textures like drum machines and distorted bass, Lee curates a warm, introspective soundscape for intimate ponderings. Letโs look at โOne Summer Gone,โ which in itself collected more than a thousand plays on Spotify. Here, Lee creates a tender mood with gentle guitar strumming and soft, rustling cymbals that shimmer over a bed of that thick, distorted bass. His high, light, and grainy vocals come surprisingly charismatic and touchingly sweet. Layered harmonies add soul to the mix, while scattered background voices lend an organic authenticity. He casually sings, โNo, you were never coming back,โ throwing the words like an epiphany heโs trying to avoid touching, lest it bleeds.
Track five, โChristopher Street,โ could easily lead a moody playlist. Built like the final scene in a road movie, it tells the story of two fugitives holed up in a mountain cabin, reflecting on love and loss. Leeโs vocals are suspended in thought, floating above hushed guitar and soft percussion. The bridge gets heavenly with his voice layered and echoing over gritty guitar lines, singing, โI will kiss you, kiss you, then we will all fall down.โ
The album closes with โHome,โ a fitting finale where catchy beats meet plucked chords and ambient textures. Leeโs voice, front and center, echoes into an expansive soundscape. His grainy tone soothes as much as it unsettles, asking us to reconsider what โhomeโ really means.
With Home (is a folk-rock mixtape), Oaken Lee builds a delicate and relatable world that you can stream for free on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan