Serpentwithfeet - DEACON - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Black Ace Buck Turner - I'm the Boss Card in Your Hand [COMPACT DISCS] date 12/01/1993

Serpentwithfeet (born Josiah Wise) is an experimental R&B/gospel vocalist and performance artist whose growing body of work is rooted in dueling obsessions with the ephemeral and the everlasting key components of his artistic journey from a childhood stint as a choirboy in Baltimore through his time at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he studied vocal performance before relocating to New York City. His debut album, Soil is a return to the sensibilities and wide-eyed curiosity of his musical youth before symmetry and sterile soundscapes ruled the roost. With the of Soil the chameleonic Serpentwithfeet rediscovers and ultimately returns to the unhinged version of himself he was sure he had outgrown.

Serpentwithfeet, the Baltimore born singer-songwriter, is takingnatural steps as a versatile talent from chapter to chapter in his career. His thirdalbum GRIP is the result of these latest steps. GRIP finds it's home on the dance floorof Black gay clubs and the intimate moments that happen there and afterward, nomatter the location. It explores the small moments of physical touch and how theyoccur. Whether it be a grip around the waist or the face, serpentwithfeet managesto explore all angles.GRIP and the Black gay club share an interesting juxtaposition theclub is public; the dancefloor is obviously a place where people look at and watchone another. At the same time, the Black gay club is a safe community space, itis Inchfor usInch, and in that way is very private, very intimate. These clubs provideda different atmosphere for him, a different comfort, and a different sense ofwelcoming that nurtured him in a new way.From start to finish, GRIP sonically lives the highs and lows of notonly a night out at the club but of romance as well. InchDamn Gloves (ft. Ty Dolla $ignand Yanga YaYa)Inch captures the adrenaline rush of a night's peak with a thumpingbass entwined in dance production that mimics the heartbeat's speed as intimacyruns high between two lovers. InchSpadesInch employs a sweet guitar-driven melody tocreate a tender moment as a slow-dance would. InchLucky MeInch is sweet and honest,void of anything that distracts from the moment at hand as serpent's voice, atwinkling guitar melody, and enchanting synths serve as the driving force tochampion a new romance.It is a body of work that highlights moments that are closest to theheart. Throughout his seven-year career, he has exhibited versatility through R&Bmusic that's been in and outside of grim, spiritual, and joyous. Serpentwithfeetcontinues to push the limits of his artistry.