There are a lot of reasons why I love SoundCloud; the biggest and most enjoyable one being that it allows us to be moved by unknown artists passionately creating content in their bedrooms. Maybe it’s psychological, but I find that essence of an acoustic performance so much more haunting and true when it’s done solely and simply because an artists feels more complete by doing it. Something compels them to write, to play and to sing to an audience that they might not even have and that just feels really pure and lovely to me.
I’m not saying all of SoundCloud is killin’ it – but I am saying that the gems that hide amongst mixtapes, poorly recorded Chili Pepper riffs and Oasis covers – are worth getting lost in the musical fray for a while.
Enter Worcester, MA’s Joseph Reardon.
Now I stumbled on Joseph after listening to Isaac Gracie on repeat, after I saw his name on the little side bar under tunes that Gracie had liked. One of the reasons that I ask every artist I interview who they’re favorite bands are and what tracks I should check out, is genuinely to discover new music myself; to understand new voices and share them with others. If you love the style and vibe of one lyricist, chances are his or her recommendations will be on point.
I listened to ‘I’m Thinking Of You’ about 9 times before pinpointing why it went right through me. As Reardon slurs his way through, at times, inaudible lyrics he comes across so honestly and fearless to me. When you’re drunk, love-torn and ‘fucking feeling’ a lot of different things sometimes the intoxication caused by both alcohol and love combines to give you some strange permission to unapologetically open your heart without a filter.
“I’m thinking of you, wishin’ that you was close to me.” Dead simple.
Fragile and soft, yet ironically rough at the same time – vocally the stumbling drunk vibe is unlike anything I’ve heard before and it’s so lovely.
Don’t overanalyze it, just let it sink in and move you. I feel like every smitten, inebriated kid has murmured a really off-tune rendition of this after seeing that person they think about almost as much as they think of themselves.
Lotus Play 