After getting caught up in the game of compromise between artistic integrity and commerce to tailor the needs of music industry bigwigs, Chris Hayzel’s newest exploration Axiom finds this extremely talented artist returning back to the roots of why he enjoys making music in the first place. Recorded in his home studio and doing all things necessary on his own to bring this short EP to the masses, Hayzel states that this is one of the most vulnerable albums he’s every made.
I personally have not heard anything from Chris Hayzel before this recording but I am familiar with the work of his very well known parents, Howard Hewett, former lead singer for the R&B and soul music group Shalamar and Nia Peeples, whom I remember as a fresh faced student of dancing on the hit TV series Fame. At first, I didn’t know what to expect but Hayzel definitely delivers the goods in terms of vulnerability and songwriting. He has written some deep and intensely introspective lyrics that at times are abstract but also hit on something universal. “Lips Shut Tight” sounds like it’s about two forces at odds with one another but the one side won’t stop speaking out for what’s right. “Love We Send” seems like a call for love, a call to come together and overcome fear. The layering of vocal tracks at the end gives the song a hymn-like quality. “Lonely” is interesting because it’s written in the second person but end’s with a cry in first person. It also has some rocking moments mixed with piano and a soulful guitar – it’s quite haunting, desperate and chilling. “Light” has some really challenging lyrics and atmospheric sounds. The message seems to be that what you thought would pull you through, instead betrays you, but then you ask yourself – is there a different path, a new way, a new light that you haven’t explored yet? Something that listeners will notice is one song leads into another with nary a break. In other words, if you were to listen to Axiom on vinyl or CD, it would be like one long song but with chord and instrument changes. After a few listens of Axiom, it was clear to me that Hayzel was blessed with fantastic vocal prowess and command and still at a very young age. it’ll be a treat to hear whatever next exploration of sound he lays down.
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