First of all, why always cats?! *side eye Brymo*
Brymo’s OṢÓ (The wizard), is his sixth album and to be honest the very first one I’ve listened to from its 1st to its 11th track, in one sitting. For 38 minutes, Brymo takes us on an introspective journey through love and life and the myriad of relationships in between. From “No be me” to the soulful “Bá’núsọ”, this trip is melodious and beyond beautiful. The blend of simple chords, even simpler words that hold such depth, and heartbreaking vocals come together to create something that is absolutely stunning!
The entire album evokes images of a smoke-filled bar from the 50s, complete with a half-naked Brymo crooning at us while some of us sit at the back with our heads thrown back and our eyes closed as we soak him in.
I would have set the interlude ‘’Mama’’ as the intro because it was quite the prayer (“The government dey veto, dey fuck us oh.The thief still dey shit on the good man oh.”) and Nigerian artists tend to put the prayer first, but I guess that’s why he’s Brymo and made the ingenious choice to put it between ‘’No Be Me’’ and ‘’Heya’’, two songs that discuss the same themes (love, politics and human nature and are punctuated by this interlude that laments that things have stayed unchanging.
While it seems like he is, on the one hand, sharing a huge moral lesson about hope and hanging in there in the very cheekily captioned ”Patience and Goodluck”, on the other, you’re not entirely sure he’s not commiserating with the average Nigerian who embraced APC’s change and is campaigning for the return of the PDP. I guess that’s why it is art. It’s all subjective.
”God Is in Your Mind” is a reflective piece that combines Brymo’s vocal prowess with a strong guitar-riff. ‘’I’m not the man I used to be’’ he sings. “For the first time, gods are we, without a face. For the first time, gods are we, without a name…For the first time, God is in your mind.” Here, Brymo encourages us to find ourselves first as that is the one path to finding god. A self-discovery that perhaps set him on this uninhibited path where he could shoot the video for ‘’Heya’’ in a string.
‘’Don’t mistake what is fun for what is good’’ he admonishes on ‘’Time Is so Kind’’ while reminding us that holding on to love too tight can cause you to lose it in “Entropy”. ”Entropy” sounded very much like love ballads from the 80s.
“Money Launderers and Heart Breakers” is one of my favourites on this album. It is quietly groovy and while it might be a shout to all the hard workers and hustlers, it just might also be an ode to yahoo boys and Yoruba demons (again, Art = Subjective). ”All we do is win, We are grinding when you sleep” he sings. ‘‘Pretty outside but ugly inside. Pretty outside but rotten inside”.
I have no idea what he’s saying in ”Olarenwaju’‘ but I know I love it and very fiercely hate my lack of knowledge of the Yoruba language because this is one of those songs that need you to appreciate it in its raw, untranslated form.
The flute, the talking drum, the tinkling rhythm of the chimes all come together to create something so beautiful.
I would love to watch an alternative dancer interpret this song.
She’ll be dark-skinned, lithe and slender, wearing no underwear under a flowing white chiffon dress that floats when she moves. She will have small, dark, round breasts that are perky and immobile and in defiant display through the dress as she moves (don’t ask, listen to the song).
”Olumo” and ”Bá’núsọ”, a mix again of the talking drum, a saxophone, and a ton of other percussion instruments are also a worthy listen.
I love how the first couple of songs end. So abrupt. I had to check to see that my stream hadn’t broken. You’re so immersed in each song, it’s almost rude when it ends the way it does.
Look, Brymo’s music is a whole mood.
If ”Legbegbe” is more your vibe, then this album (Brymo’s music, period) isn’t for you. Forget shaking the acceptability table, he pushed the damn thing down because guess what? Art is supposed to disrupt the status quo. He is not pretending that you are his audience and he realizes that those who understand his art will appreciate this.
I love that a Nigerian is playing in the alternative folk genre and is doing it so well. OṢÓ is one of the best albums out of this country in a short while and I hope that more than listen, you will grab yourself a copy.
My top three songs are ”God Is in Your Mind”, ”Heya” and ”Money Launderers and Heart Breakers” and if ”Heya” is anything to go by, I’m excited to see what he does with the other songs. Oh and I so badly want to hear an Asa/Brymo collaboration (gods of music, make it happen).
Over 5 (1 for meh and 5 for God) this album is a 4.5.
PS. OṢÓ is an album that wants to immerse and fill your mind. The more open you are to letting it wash over you, the more you will get from it. This is mood music, so get in the mood. Whatever you need to do (or take) to put yourself in a relaxed frame of mind to appreciate this work, indulge.