BirraTheGunslinger - My Dearest Self

I try not to strike twice on write-ups by artists I’ve already covered, but this is about the only tape I’ve been listening to for the past couple of weeks. Off the back of his great self-titled last year, Birra’s put together something that seems just as self-referential as his previous, peering deeper not only into a snapshot of his loves and influences, but capturing a vivid self-portrait of his life and legacy. I could be completely wrong about this, but between the flow and multiple interludes that push the story along, My Dearest Self seems to co-exist somewhere between the past present and future, reflecting on how he came to be to where he is today, how to move forward through life, and his lasting legacy on the people around him. Without being too dramatic, there are moments of this that really feel a comprehensive slideshow played before you right before you lose your life, truly bittersweet in tone like it’s all washed in sepia. Even at its hardest-hitting moments, everything feels somewhat washed in melancholy, hitting you cereberally just as much it does physically, every sub-aquatic soul sample filtered through quick dips in kicks and mechanical percussion. But beyond the incredible instrumental beats here feels like a deeper dive into his own soul, the beats are interspersed between bare passions on display, like a run of freestyle flips straight out of the 2000s or more beautifully ambient moments, like the backmasked Prophecy, or the solemn Psalms which could’ve been lifted straight from the Disintegration Loops. As we’re nearing the end of the slideshow, just like Kendrick on Mortal Man, Birra leaves things open-ended sonically and thematically, questioning “if I leave, are the fans still gon leave me man?” If there’s one thing for certain, I know I will. Once again, BirraTheGunslinger shows that he’s one of the most unique doing it, building tape after tape designed to be listened to in full; delivering an experience always evocative, emotional and deeply-introspective.

KEY BEAT: Sage - I love the first half of this but there’s something about the switch-up that hits so hard, bringing me near tears as the deep crooning starts with tape still hissing and snares rattling. Even though the timbre and textures don’t change, this is a perfect example of how he can quickly switch moods in a heart beat.