BLUEPRINT – FALLING DOWN EP DELUX VERSION

The moment you realize there has been some time since there’s been any new material that’s been released by Columbus, Ohio’s Blueprint. This is the artist who has established himself for over 20 years as a reckoning force in music. Whether releasing music under his own moniker, Greenhouse Effect, Greenhouse (with Illogic), and Sole Position (with RJD2), as an emcee or producer, Blueprint’s contribution has never gone unnoticed.

All of this brings us to his new Falling Down EP Deluxe Version (Weightless Recordings), a handful of new recordings fitted with its instrumental tracks as well. One thing that’s most noticeable from jump is the recording’s artwork, with a cracked smiling-faced individual hanging off a ledge, created by Frank Lawson. Through its cracked face there’s an eye poking through, ominously serving as ‘Print still holding on. If you’ve ever listened to any of his previous works, Blueprint is a master storyteller, sometimes boastful without need for egotisms, but here it’s a different Blueprint, figuratively holding on. Through the opening “Fix Your Own Plate,” ‘Print directs and repeats keyboard & guitar notes around heavy-knitted beats as Blueprint weaves rhymes around conversations with street dudes, suit/tie con men & struggle revolves around a DIY mindset. No one’s going to help you more than you will. The poignancy isn’t missed. While it may seem Blueprint is self-deprecating he’s actually a bit more self-reflective on the release’s title track. Musically more upbeat, he tells his story from the start to where he finds himself. It may seem as if he’s on the decline, but hard work and hope keeps you moving forward and upward. If he’s hanging on the ledge, he’s pulling himself back up.

It’s the reality of “Bad Boy Bill” that’s relatable for anyone moving their way into adulthood or keeping up with the never-ending flow of payments one has to make. Free-flowing guitars make their way across the beat accentuated by horns. Of course it’s a struggle the average American has to consistently deal with, and Blueprint even suggests keep up with everything because you know, who wants bad credit? Bad credit? Yes, even ‘Print can make those suggestions because he’s an adult and doesn’t need to rap about guns, bling, and hoes. But then there’s “It’s Over,” where we find Blueprint dealing with termed relationships. His rhymes are filled with the melancholy of loss, but he doesn’t wallow or swim within it. It was a watery ride that capsized, and he’s come to terms with it. If there was a signature beat of his, this one just might be it. Keys start/stop and fill the track with a melody that mixes well with the backing vocal sample over it. It’s something new but something recognizable. Blueprint closes things out with the instrumental “Tough Times Don’t Last,” as he layers the beat with piano and eerie distant harmonies in the background. This is impressive for any musician but ‘Print isn’t your average musician as he’s able to provide optimism and gloom all in one track.

Additional instrumentals for his other songs are included on Falling Down and we can all see his genius. I might be showing my bias here but by the end of the release you’ll realize he’s no longer dangling from that ledge, comfortably sitting atop with a band aid right over his eye. A 6-year respite is long enough and it’s good to know he’s back. Printmatic is always cinematic perfection.

SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE – TIME IS GLASS

There are moments when life should be questioned, decisions should be second-guessed, and things shouldn’t always make you feel bad. I think it was Pigeon John release that piece a sample together on how music should sometimes force you to tears. While I don’t always agree with that, music should move your emotions in one way or another, just as a book can give you a different perspective of life itself. Music is important.

With that said, Six Organs Of Admittance, the musical project by guitarist Ben Chasny, has a long and storied history. With a catalog of more than 20 albums that date back to 1998, it does seem odd that in 2024 Six Organs isn’t larger than life. Of course, someone will say “Yes, I know of the band” but do you really know the band? That my friend, is the right question. The newly released Time Is Glass (Drag City) adds to the band’s lengthy musical output driven mostly by Chasny’s acoustic guitar which he always seems to have weeping in his arms. There’s a loose precision to his note-picking from song-to-song, and by the time you reach the album’s finale, time seems to speed past right in front of you. Is Time Is Glass all too brief? I don’t think so, clocking in at around 40 minutes or so, but its songs draw one in so deeply, time is irrelevant it seems. There’s a melancholia throughout it, beginning with “The Mission,” with layers of voices coming through over Chasny’s dreamy guitar. It sets the tone for the album; it’s warm, inviting, all set within that aforementioned melancholy with guitar notes subtlely drifting in and out. The instrumental “Hephaestus” takes a more experimental approach allowing instruments to ebb & flow of their own accord but Chasny never relinquishes a melody and it is captured within it. It seems as if the dissonance embedded within is on repeat, much like a looped sample but it remains organic. This leads into the beautiful “Slip Away.” The acoustic instrumentation is augmented by electric guitars but it’s Chasny’s incredible vocal delivery that’s so inviting. His cadence, his flow, is almost atmospheric. It could be the music, but I don’t think so, I hear it as it soaks up everything around.

The singer/songwriter folk vibe seems to encompass “Theophany Song,” and while it may seem as if it has a slightly off-key vocal melody, it works to the song’s benefit as plinking keys clink in for a few notes. The track just rallies around sweetness. This leads into the precious “My Familiar,” where electric guitar is much more predominant. It hits differently and you can feel the electricity in the air as Chasny’s cooing vocals in the distance envelops the song. It becomes a bit more challenging but alluring nonetheless. But it’s “Spinning In A River” that’s just…unexpected. Chasny lulls us into his confidence with sweet notes playing and again, his charming voice reeling us in. When our guard is down, this is when he strikes! Less than halfway through, electric guitars burst onto the scene, dynamics shifting as it moderately blends into the background. What the actual fuck? The explosion happens again, but this time we expect it. Interesting perspectives in sound here.

If anything, Six Organs Of Admittance should leave you intrigued at the least with Time Is Glass, an album that speaks volumes with mainly an acoustic guitar and voice filling the space around us all. Well done!