![]() As such it makes sense that some of this year’s best albums would be, well, weird as hell. Soil comes out June 8 on Secretly Canadian.2018 was weird as hell, so let’s just get that out of the way. "On this album, the sound is a lot thicker. "Me and the engineer talked a lot about getting a warmer, bigger sound," he says. But now, having explored the minutiae, he's inspired to expand his sound. On Blisters, Wise says he was more focused on being delicate, in order to counter what he'd been socialized to believe about masculinity: that men were supposed big, brawny and imposing. Layered with chunky harmonies, robust colour and a bold, sometimes chilling soundscape, this album is an exercise in taking up space. Sonically, soil is just as passionate and intense as Wise's takes on love. I think that's really important when you're trying to heal." I'm impressionable and I know that things are going to stick with me. "There's certain things I just don't watch anymore. Where I don't see black gay men being exploited," he says. "It's been important for me to watch really loving films where I see black people loving on each other. In preparation for soil, he became very particular about the images and sounds he consumed, all in an effort to nurture love within himself. He also treats himself with the same great care. Wise is an expert at surrendering, both to his lovers and to his creative process. I had to think 'What does this song need? What do you want? Where do you want to go?' And the songs changed so much. "On this album, I tried to listen better. Once you give that character a face, it grows legs and tells you where it will and will not go," he says. "I approach my songs the way I work with my dolls and imaginary friends. Both as a lover and as a songwriter, he showcases his submissiveness as a strength. A resolute and unyielding narrator, there isn't a moment on the album where Wise comes off as vulnerable in a performative sense. Even if we're arguing, I think 'What a joy to be arguing with you.'" "I have so much love and time inside of me. My loving style is about being incredibly available," he says. I actually prefer to talk about how amazing you are. "I'm great at illuminating what is wonderful about you. ![]() But on soil, Wise steps outside of himself and focuses his narrative on how fully he devotes himself to others, with no hint of shame or pride. Today, it's common to sprinkle love songs with a healthy dose of hubris, to present oneself as above the trifles of romance. While he is not the first to wax lyrical about love and romance, his overt and unabashed approach to the subject is rebellious in this era of trendy narcissism. "I get to be devoted to him," he proclaims on the gripping hymn "cherubim." "I get to keep my mouth filled with you. Raised in the church, Wise brings the stirring drama of gospel to his album, but adds carnal flourishes that transcend the sanctuary. ![]() Similar to his 2016 EP, Blisters, there is no line between sensual and spiritual on soil. " just say 'I really like him' or even 'I love him to death.' What if we raise the stakes on that? The men that I'm with - I feel like they deserve my worship." That's a waste of time for me," says the Baltimore native. "I'm not really interested in being in a lukewarm relationship with any man. It is a thorough and deeply intense exploration of love and romantic relationships: the joyous, tragic and all moments in between. It's important for me to give them their full value." ![]() I take all of my encounters seriously, especially my romantic ones. Those words could be used for a partner or someone that you just hooked up with. "For me, using the word 'worship' doesn't just belong to some statue in a sanctuary. I don't," says singer-songwriter serpentwithfeet, born Josiah Wise. "So often, we reserve words like 'adoration' and 'exalting' for a religious context.
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