Justin John Scheck - ​A Peasant's Voice

Justin John Scheck 

​A Peasant's Voice
self-released; 2024

4.1 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Jamie Funk

Justin John Scheck returns with A Peasant’s Voice, an album that finds the prolific artist fine-tuning his vision after a string of releases over the past few years. This time around, Scheck pushes further, delivering a work that feels more cohesive and arguably more impactful than anything in his catalog to date.

The album opens with a haunting introduction, "I Tried My Best, Pt. 1 (Interlude)," where somber strings set a mood of tension and introspection. It’s a prelude to the wild turns the album takes, starting with “To The Evermore,” a track that blends off-kilter melodies with sharp, biting production. Scheck’s rendition of “All You Need is Love” turns the mantra into a plea, making it feel less like a sing-along and more like a desperate outcry, a far cry from the Beatles’ original utopian optimism.

The album’s most striking moments come in its quieter spaces. On “Lord I Asked,” Scheck lays bare his emotions, creating a fragile, intimate atmosphere that feels like it’s on the verge of collapse, its vulnerability adding to the track’s intensity. The more aggressive side of Scheck’s palette explodes on “The Truth,” where jagged distortion and metallic undertones tear through the mix with an unrelenting force.

What sets A Peasant’s Voice apart is its ability to balance these moments of chaos and calm. Scheck has sharpened his signature sound, from the industrial-tinged glitches reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails on “The One True Blue” to the sweeping, cinematic closer “Until Then.” The album is a testament to his evolution, combining cutting-edge production with a sharp ear for songwriting.

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