American singer Joshua Bassett released his album The Golden Years. The album’s themes are love, soul-searching, self-compassion, perseverance, and heartbreak.
The music is Pop, mixed with some Folk and Alternative music.The album has an Ed Sheeran/One Direction vibe. The compositions are impressive.
The album has outstanding ballads. Biting My Tongue has a beautiful, wavy rhythm. The guitar and drums are fantastic in this piece. It parallels Ed Sheeran’s music in the early days of his career. The tune The Golden Years has an intense beat. It parallels American Authors’ Best Day Of My Life and Harry Styles’ single As It Was but with a slightly slower tempo. It also sounds similar to Ed Sheeran’s single Happier, especially at the end of the chorus (with a faster tempo). The song Don’t Let Me Down (Joshua Bassett & Jenna Raine) has a lovely Folk beat with fantastic guitar and percussion. It starts with a slow guitar and piano, then transitions to the percussion. It parallels Simu Liu’s Break My Heart but with a slower temp. Wildfire has a heavy beat, representing sadness and heartbreak. It parallels Sam Smith’s I’m Not The Only One and One Direction’s Story of My Life. The song Mirror has a smooth rhythm. It parallels Ed Sheeran’s Dive from the Divide album). Look How Far You’ve Come has calming music. It parallels David Bowie’s 1972 version of Space Oddity and Daniel Powter’s 2003 single Bad Day. These ballads have an incredible musical richness.
The record has incredibly fast-tempo songs. Dancing with Tears in My Eyes has a dynamic rhythm and beat. There’s a 70s Disco vibe, similar to the music of the Bee Gees. It parallels The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights and David Bowie’s Modern Love, except with a slower beat. Cherry Blossom has a catchy beat with a 90s vibe. It parallels Coldplay’s Viva La Vida but with a slower tempo and Ed Sheeran’s 2014 single Sing. The song Circles has immersive music. It parallels Fastball’s The Way, and No Doubt’s It’s My Life. Little Rita has a fun, folksy-style rhythm. It parallels Ed Sheeran’s early single, The A-Team. The song Would Ya Tell Me has a fun dance beat. The song parallels No Doubt’s Don’t Speak and Gotye’s single Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra). The energy of these songs is bold.
The musicians who collaborated on this album gave it their personal and musical touch.
Joshua Bassett’s voice is soft and deep. He sings with heart and soul. His vocal style reminds me of several artists, including Ed Sheeran. He has a fantastic duet with Jenna Raine, performing Don’t Let Me Down.
The lyrics of these songs are expressive, profound and poetic. The album has impressive freestyle writing.
The first and central theme is contemplation. Biting My Tongue teaches a lesson about watching what one says, especially in challenging situations/circumstances. The tune represents the struggles in a time of soul-searching with compassion and understanding. The song Mirror is a profound piece about emotional struggles and anxiety. It reminds me of the challenges many face with mental health – the vulnerable aspect is relatable. The song Look How Far You’ve Come is inspirational and has a beautiful message of taking a moment to look back at the progress that one has made over time. It’s full of hope, love and positivity. The tune is also a reminder to remember the goal and what’s essential in life.
Another that the album has is love. Cherry Blossom tells a sweet love story that started in the Summer but blossomed into something beautiful. Little Rita is an optimistic song about how things will improve as time passes. It’s full of love and hope, and the tune tells a heartfelt story.
Another theme of this album is heartbreak. The piece The Golden Years is a well-written song about remembering a past relationship, including what went wrong. The subject reminds me of Ed Sheeran’s single Happier. Dancing with Tears in My Eyes describes the sadness stage of grief, especially when something triggers a memory of a past relationship. Don’t Let Me Down (Joshua Bassett & Jenna Raine) is a profound and poetic song about the challenges couples face and sometimes struggle to stay together and even break up if they can’t survive the difficulties. The song Circles is about a guy who finally dares to escape a vicious cycle. He realizes chasing after a particular girl for so many years is a waste of time. Wildfire is a metaphor for grief regarding a relationship that fell apart. The song Would Ya Tell Me represents the anxiety and worry that some have when they fear their partner is still in love with their ex. That overthinking is relatable and honest.
Great work to all the songwriters of this dynamic album. They gave these songs depth and feeling to these songs.
