Singer/songwriter and producer Glassio has just unveiled his second full length album See You Shine. The 17-track musical journey takes listeners on a story of loss, self discovery and ultimate joy.
See You Shine chronicles the exodus of a young man who leaves the small town he grew up in for a better life. Being shunned by his different beliefs and way of life, he leaves to "the depths of the deserts of Arizona, looking for a new life in a distant city," as he likes to explain it. The album opens with "Queen of the Silver City," a song all about making a new start. With lyrics including, "but my love is the queen of the silver city / one love / one love could die / hold me somebody new," the track details a loss of an old relationship but hope for a new beginning full of hope and love. It's an upbeat indie pop affair complete with layered melodies, vibrant synths and sparkly keys colliding for a perfect feel-good musical moment.
With "The Weekend," Glassio crafts a quirky indietronic single all about hedonism. Lyrics like "hey there little bird / you're so much fun / don't tell them about the weekend," details the party that ensued and the escapism that the weekend can bring. The track features bouncy electronic beats, operatic vocals and ecstatic heightened melodies for hyper pop meets electronic banger.
He then slows things down with the autobiographical "Everybody I Know Moved To L.A.," a contemplative and sullen ballad about longing for connection and solace. He sings, "can you be the child that you once knew? / now I try to keep the blues off my face / but everybody I know moved to L.A / and I’m hopelessly romancing the pain," painting the pain of losing friends to a different city as spacey beats, deep baritone vocals and moody keys mirror the track's introspective and intimate narrative.
The album quickly speeds back up with the single "If Love Is All It Takes," detailing hope in the face of adversity, recognizing that sometimes being stuck in a bad place in life can happen but tenacity and desire for a better way is the way out. Sonically, "If Love Is All It Takes" is a dance pop tune filled with an attention grabbing chorus and sun-dipped soundscapes full of vibrancy.
Perhaps the strongest song on the album as well as the most poignant is "Dynamites, "which is all about loneliness and the desire to try to be in touch with someone who is not within reach. Glassio shares, "little did I know that in just a few short weeks I'd be dealing with the hardest loss of my life: losing my father and best friend to COVID pneumonia. The song slowly morphed more and more into a track about having an imaginary conversation with someone who is no longer with you, and your knowledge of their spirit and character being there to help you through things. It’s a very spiritual song to me, and helped me grieve that loss.” "Dynamites" features Beach Boys inspired hooks, passionate electric guitars and breezy electronic stylings.
See You Shine is a powerful and important album that brilliantly touches upon the highs and lows of dealing with the changes of life. From his narrative of an imaginary character who leaves a small town for life in a new world that is full of acceptance, to his own recent experiences with grief of the passing of his father, See You Shine is a passionate collection of songs that is relatable and thoughtful. Glassio's uncanny ability to meld organic and electronic sounds makes for a soul-stirring and innovative musical release.
