Glxy returns with the moody and mellow EP Outsider. Featuring other long time artists such as Distance Decay and Mag, the Keyworld member’s return EP presents us with a low tempo offering with vocals that match the soundscape.
Outsider opens with “Diablo,” an ambient soundscape featuring the fittingly autotuned vocals of Rbenci. One of the highlights of the song, as well as the entire EP, is how well the vocal features match the mood and tempo of the song. “Diablo” also sets the tone quite well for the extended play – giving off a “down but not out” vibe, struggling between cynicism and wanting to move towards better things in life.
Glxy samples female Japanese vocals in the sleepy, piano-laden “Sour.” The song feels like an interlude, gently carrying us to the the next track.
“Sorry” is co-produced by Distance Decay and the vocals of REW. The vocal effects electrify the song working in tandem with the static effects and distorted piano. With multiple listens, “Sorry” is becomes one of the most memorable tracks on the EP and embodies the struggle between cynicism and moving forward that appear as a continuous theme throughout the EP.
The self-descriptive “Down” takes a sombre turn with Rbenci exposing our natural tendency to gravitate towards negative self-talk, letting it win:
“I’ve been feeling down… In my days I drown.
I just don’t really see how to slow this down. I’ve been trying to forget all the fun we had… All the memories won’t get out of my head.”
The words being sung to a beautiful backdrop of piano chords.
While words like “moody” and “dark” are used to describe Glxy’s Outsider, there’s something beautiful about and very natural in our own human tendencies to fight against negativity, whether or our own internal dialogue or external influences. Outsider manages to capture those feelings in both instrumentals he’s produced as well as the featured vocals – the type of album you listen to on your bed with the lights off.