The solitude of Vriety’s “F.I.F.A”
-written by Sivu Genu
Image sourced from Instagram [@vriety_]
You’re never alone when music moves so seamlessly through you, Vriety.
An opening track is the most important piece to any project’s puzzle. This is your first impression. This is what lets us as the listener know whether we are welcome into your universe or we’re better off sharing sonic energies with a different artist.
“Peace’s Pieces” doesn’t waste time beating around the bush. We get straight into it. The ushering isn’t as intense as I make it sound but imagine Yussef Dayes & Tom Misch walking you into an underground jazz club where their unlikely spawn is casually expressing how anhedonia is affecting them.
“Peace’s Pieces” & “Tuesday Mornings” are songs that feel like the soundtrack to a summer spent cruising the glittering seas of a town like Portofino or enjoying a Campari at any of Cape Town’s booming kick back spots.
Within all of its guitar strumming glory - I cannot help but feel the lingering melancholy that the album’s title suggests.
Image sourced from Instagram [@vriety_]
The transition from “Tuesday Morning’s” shimmering & charismatic bounce into “Nothing’s Changed” somber & lonely acoustic guitar strums signifies a life that many of us city kids have experienced.
We tout joy like salesmen. Only borrowing happiness either only temporarily from the divine source & mostly from contrived means such as alcohol & substances - to eventually breakdown when the serotonin wears off & we’re stuck facing our demons. alone.
“Been losing my mind, hustling, running around tryna find peace. I don’t feel like myself……”
The project's seamless descent into darkness is most unnerving in the track "I Don't Wanna."
Not only is the elegant & luscious production of the first two tracks swapped out for a despondent and, at times, emotionally draining acoustic guitar - but the story & production level remain thoughtfully crafted.
Vriety is a craftsman in their domain. The album doesn’t suffer from overly emotional melodrama rather the story is told via infectious guitar melodies & powerful vocal work from Vriety himself & guest appearances by chaylon j & nexa - who only arrive to serve their purpose & do their best at not deviating from the sonic blueprint.
By the time we reach “Hold Fast” - we receive a welcome change of tone & pace that is ushered in by nexa’s celestial vocals.
The optimist & romantic in me cannot help but laugh as I empathise with Vriety’s overarching emotional state.
Fuck, he feels alone.
Image sourced from Instagram [@vriety_]
But in a world where loneliness runs rampant & true connections are hard to come by - he can be thankful that there is an artistic community he has been able to cultivate that has allowed him the divine possibility of collaborating on such a moving work of art.
“Your voice so sweet, feels like home to me.”
There is an undeniably human feeling to this project that conveys a sundry of emotions within the primary concept of feeling alone.
In an industry where genuine & authentic art can be put on the back burner & commercial detritus is emphasised & celebrated - it warms my heart to step into an artist’s universe that seeks no validation, but rather seeks opportunity to share their story authentically
- written by Sivu Genu
