“This Is Water” by Light and Shade is a sprawling, heartfelt ride through grief, love, memory, and survival, all wrapped in a genre-bending mix of rock, soul, and jazz-tinged instrumentals. Recorded in under six days in Memphis, the album pulses with raw energy and lived-in authenticity. The strong sense of nostalgia threaded through the whole record is not just for a time gone by, but for people, those who shaped the band’s identity and sound, particularly Jeff Williams’ late father and grandmother. This is less an album and more an audible scrapbook, layered with stories, scars, and sonic snapshots that feel intensely personal.
The opener, “Storm in the Desert,” crashes in with a grave, thumping drum and gritty riffs that churn with purpose. Horns blare like sirens against shimmering piano, echoing the album’s central theme—finding beauty in chaos. By the time “Reggie B” comes, the mood shifts. The warm, acoustic heartbeat beneath the ticking percussion, and the horns are more mellow, as if exhaling after the storm. It’s jittery and grounded at once, evoking the anxious calm of everyday life.
Then there’s the emotional centerpiece, “The Other Robin Williams.” At 9 minutes and 22 seconds, it lives in it. With its rhythmic guitar groove, celebratory horns, and percussive sparkle, the song feels like a tribute and a toast rolled into one. When the organ wails midway through, it feels earned. Like something rising up from the gut when words aren’t enough.
“This Is Water” is an album made by people who’ve lived some life, and are still laughing, still playing, and still healing through sound. Listen to it on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan