Almanzo - Self-Armed
Almanzo Ward is a singer-songwriter from London, UK. His latest LP, Self-Armed, released April 17th, 2022, is his most proficiently produced and well-written album yet; though it’s more of the same.
While the compositions are simple, they are effective as a vehicle for Almanzo’s charming voice. White Speckled Finish of My Dreams’ main beat is oddly jarring, but the accompanying synths are delightful. The same could be said for the odd Self-Armed. The simplest tracks are the best. Or Worse, for instance, is gorgeous. Almanzo’s nuanced lyricism is paired miraculously with his skilled vocal range. Despite the plain instrumentals, his delivery alone makes each section unique. But He Loves Me’s soft atmosphere is as absorbing as it is vibrant, as is the beautiful and engrossing I Thought I Would Be Somebody. Lastly, Time to Waste is a simple, yet effective melody. The track demonstrates that when stripping back the instrumentals completely, the artist is still capable of carrying the track. Unfortunately, the majority of the remaining tracks are repetitive and filler.
As a result, praise cannot be given in the innovation department. While there is some interesting experimentation, it’s not executed strongly, nor attempted nearly enough. More importantly, these tracks sound indistinguishable from previous releases, and is unfortunately sounding more accessible in lieu of developing a unique personality. This is essentially just Trans-Lana Del Ray right down to the tone of voice. Furthermore, the second half of the album repeats itself; after half-way through it becomes unnecessarily self-indulgent. A little more experimentation in the composition department is all the artist needed to stand out, but their compositions sadly became stagnant.
Like previous Almanzo releases, the album is still over-bloated, though its highs make up for the filler. These are some of the highest quality tracks the artist has released to date. It also works as an excellent entry point for the artist’s more challenging and emotionally exhausting releases. One can only hope Almanzo tries something different next time; they’ve already perfected this style.
Above Average
Listen to it here:
https://almanzo.bandcamp.com/album/self-armed
