by Jare C (@jareccurtis)
Historically, the city of Philadelphia has seen no shortage of music projects. Something about the town’s location and diverse demographics, paired with its wide array of college campuses and subcultures, has made it the destination spot for artists of all genres, with an experimental flair a hallmark of the scene. In the past ten years or so, it has become a terminus for transplants to journey towards, relocating their long term projects to a new scene in the hopes of finding a vibrant new place to develop their work, with merch suitcase and Bandcamp QR codes in tow. In this vast sea of artists, bands, groups, and projects, Soft Idiot is just one project among very many. The outlet of singer/songwriter Justin Roth, the project has seen many variations and creative directions since its inception in 2016. In that time, Roth has allowed himself to experiment instrumentally and conceptually, all while maintaining keen lyricism, catchy melodies, and indie folk spirit in the core of his inspiration.
In 2021, Roth decided to retire Soft Idiot, and released the “final” record of the project. Now, in 2023, he has returned, not only with a new album, but a new touring lineup, and seemingly, a renewed drive and energy towards life, art making, and observation. This new release, Some Captured Light, is a record that breathes a decisive sense of relaxation and rumination from its very onset. From its celebrative album cover, to the focus on the natural world and the creatures within it, Roth embraces an attitude of restoration, and an appreciation for the simple things, with weaving acoustic guitar coupled with contemplative keys and synth sounds. His direct and harmonious vocal delivery ties every track together with a specific urgent malaise that is as gripping as it is soothing.
Tracks like “Deer,” “Rose and the Dollarbird,” and “Cold and Dark, Cold and Dark,” wrestle with feelings of loss and unease, along with simple pleasures and refreshing gratitude that embrace the contradictions of living a life as a young artist - a key theme that feels vital to the record. This comes to a head on “Captured Light II,” a track whose winding pathway reveals where we’ve been heading all along is a destination that is still unknown. The standout stunner, “Owl,” comes early on in the album, with a gorgeous synth groove and steady drumbeat that couples Roth’s passionate, yet reserved vocals brilliantly, all with a vintage crackle that places the record somewhere in the stereo background of a summer scene. The crisp guitar and pushing melody on “I Can’t Make It Make Sense” provides another sense of urgency, even when the song continuously harkens back to the dreamy, sleepy haze of the rest of the record, one that is perfectly encapsulated by the unrelenting refrain on “Captured Light I”. Throughout all of these moments, the mastering by Terrin Munawet aka GBMystical adds the perfect compliment to each song, giving the record just the right emotional and atmospheric tones from moment to moment.
With Some Captured Light, Soft Idiot captures the energy and spirit of a summer in your mid-twenties, the summer that threatens to be the summer, where the truths that previously felt so far away and hard to unveil are prevalent and unavoidable. The summer that feels to be the crossroads of decision, between difficult choices and new beginnings, where the comfortable past may give way to the unpredictable future- a time that must be savored just in case it becomes fleeting. This general tone allows for what would seem like a stark contradiction - ease and anxiety - to blend perfectly. This is an album that you’ll probably find on rotation for many months to come. Not only that, but Some Captured Light also serves as a refreshing and exciting promise for what Soft Idiot has coming next.