There are times when you hear about an album or a musician before you delve into their catalog. If your reputation precedes you and the right team pushes the art, then you might be onto something. This is the case for Cincinnati, Ohio’s Sayge. I’ve seen his name float around the internet, but his most recent effort Everyday Is Sunday is nothing short of magnificent.
With just eleven tracks, we hear the shades of pain, passion and time for introspection while Sayge looks inward before outward. Each cut takes us to another place where the narration turns a blank canvas into vivid lights. Now lights on some takes may be dimmer than others, because not all of what Sayge preaches is positive. Bouts with past trauma including jail time of loved ones, death, substance abuse and the negatives of life have turned Sayge into a stronger being. Though, on the other side of the coin there is brightness in how he’s is spinning the pain.
To be able to walk us through one’s trials is quite a complex and impressive trait. It shows resilience and a sense of bettering one’s situation usually follows that. On top of what Sayge discusses with brilliant approach, his ear for beats extends the reach of his already impressive skill-set. The instrumentation was mostly handled by the soulful sensei, Crewsheff, but additional production from Dran Fresh and Keele Smith procure some glorious waves.
A personal favorite is “Concurrently” because of the blending between the dark and the light. The blissfulness of the soul sample is the happiness, but it’s toned down by Sayge‘s harsh realities about dealing with the law. These brutal portrayals are a living, breathing form of art and I applaud this gentleman for taking a risk. This project is consistently strong and more people need to be hip to Sayge, so peep the gas below.
