bandaids - Keshi

Keshi's album bandaids takes influence from multiple genres, which the artist then fits into his own style. Soft Indie pop, lo-fi hip hop with a jazzy edge, and trap beats backing soulful, alternative R&B. It's all mixed together with Keshi's breathy vocals.

"I don't even really know how to "genre myself," Keshi said in his interview with Paper Magazine. "I guess I'll just start at the beginning: I really started to learn how to produce when lo-fi hip-hop had its boom because it breaks the elements of production down very simply, into a boom-bap sort of beat with like, a kick and a snare, and then a sample. Then it's very easy for your brain to pick it apart. Contemporary production is a lot more subtle, but there's so much going on. So I did start by producing lo-fi hip-hop, listening to artists like Joji, New Javez, that sort of thing. And I thought it was so cool because they took these unconventional sounds and put them at the forefront. After a while, I realized that not that many people were singing or writing to it. Everyone who writes lo-fi, they're producers. And I actually had my start in singing when I was very little and I'd do John Mayer covers. I'm a huge John Mayer fan."

In his interview, Keshi emphasized his devotion to making music and how artists can create and publish music easily these days: "I think what I'm most excited about is that it's an opportunity for me to do music as a career. I don't know if you know this, but I was a nurse. I went to nursing school at UT Austin as an oncology nurse for two years, and I remember this sense of dread every time I went into work. I felt depressed, because I wasn't doing what I really wanted to be doing. Every day I was at work, I was just dreaming of going home, and I was always thinking, "Man, I should be writing." I think the greatest opportunity in all of this is that I can hole up in my little studio and just create endlessly. That's my job now. I get to create. And it's a dream come true."

Less Of You has a catchy chorus preceded by an equally catchy pre-chorus. The music dips down, slowing slightly before trap beats move you into a smooth indie-pop, R&B influenced rythm. The song's beginning verse and bridge start with a slow, acoustic guitar before moving into the rest of the song, where trap beats add dynamics to the music.

In addition to sound, the lyrics throughout the album are wistful. Keshi told Vice, “I would definitely classify myself as a very romantic person. I feel emotions very strongly and what resonates with me the most lyrically and poetically are bittersweet things.” As for less of you, he talks about a relationship that isn't working out: "I just got over bein' less of you // When you leave me, I'm in pieces // Maybe it's better if we cut it loose."

In his interview with Paper Magazine, Keshi further explained his songwriting: "I was originally just a singer-songwriter, like acoustically. I listen to Jason Mraz, Ed Sheeran, and John Mayer, so I've been writing songs way longer than I've been producing music. So it was like a meeting of both worlds: the old, songwriting world and this new production that I've learned from lo-fi. It was like a gateway drug of sorts. So, when things merged together I really started finding the sweet spot in creating my sound. And I really craved, throughout the years, making music. Even just acoustic stuff, because I didn't have the ability to do what I want in Logic quite yet, or in GarageBand quite yet, I was restrained to just singing in my guitar. And I was like, this isn't quite what I'm going for, but this is all I can do, so I'm going to do this. And now, with the Reaper EP, I listen to so many different kinds of music. I love hip-hop, I love R&B, I love pop music, I love rock. The 1975 has this fusion of pop and rock, all these elements, all of my favorite things about music is kind of what The Reaper was. And the Skeletons EP, they both are expanding more into this discovery of my producer self and my songwriter self. Being able to have them meet and shake hands is what it is." alright is soulful and smooth. The minimal background beats and guitar chords accents the overall fluid rythm. His crooning vocals are delicate and can sound like a murmur or reach a higher pitch. Keshi's velvety voice aids the album's softness that's grounded by strong trap beats. Here, the plaintive lyrics continue the story from less of you: "I swear that I'll pick up the pieces // You say that you don't wanna keep 'em // I'll leave one behind just in case." Keshi is talking about a close relationship falling apart, while the the desire to stay is one sided.

blue is more upbeat and right here incorporates lo-fi vibes. Both are perfect songs to unwind to, with quiet, stable tones and moderate to slow tempos. The silky vocals and music creates a peaceful ambient. Each song is polished and modest. “a nostalgic fusion of jazz or R&B samples with very raw, and old-sounding hip-hop beats that are good for setting a mood...because that would be a disservice to the really authentic artists, like the forefathers of lo-fi. But I've definitely learned a lot from it,” Keshi told Vice. “It's about only creating the most interesting and best sounding things I could, and establishing a strong trust with a very small amount of fans who would carry the torch for me and spread it around.”

The title track bandaids begins with echoing and hollow autotuned vocals accompanied by a tranquil instrumental melody. It's a calming and gentle song about heartbreak.

However, each melody is very similar to the other, while Less Of You stands out on the tracklist. The similarity between melodies, tempo, and tone makes all the tracks blend together. So, it's the perfect, serene track list.

Listen to the album here: https://open.spotify.com/album/4LfFHT00C9ImLMUjHkqWjQ?si=dkmaJ9_gSsK5zi6c4GNALg