By Jared Shuff / Campus Editor
Jeremy Zucker has been releasing music since 2015, with various mixtapes and EPs up his sleeve. Throughout the years, his music has shown immense growth not only in lyrical content but in production levels as well. Zucker, 24-years old, recently released his debut full-length album, and his growth as an artist has never been more clear.
“love is not dying” was released April 17 and has a total of 13 tracks. The first single from the album, “oh, mexico,” was released back in July of 2019. The next three singles from the album were released throughout February and March, all leading up to it’s April release.
The album portrays the inner workings of Zucker’s mind, contemplating his place in the world through his most personal experiences. From friendly car rides to ending friendships, Zucker gets intimate not only with himself but with the millions that choose to listen to his music.
Simply put, this album radiates an atmospheric beauty, the kind of beauty that is painful yet worth every second of agony. Every song pulls at the heartstrings, and the honesty of his lyricism makes each song even more emotional.
On one of the tracks, “full stop,” Zucker basically wrote via stream of consciousness, allowing his thoughts to take over the writing process. This leads to some deeply personal lyrics, such as the lines “Will the solace in art fill the hole in my heart? / Well, inside, I’m growing tired of conversations.”
Aside from the lyrical content of the album, which could be analyzed through an entire essay, the production levels of the album are intricately woven around each song like a cozy blanket on a chilly Sunday morning. The transitions alone call for a round of applause, holding every song together in a warm embrace.
Zucker recently said that the album was created as a unique listening experience, calling on the listener to experience the album as a continuous whole. He has since released a video on YouTube that contains the whole album with a spectrogram to go along with the audio. A spectrogram is a visual representation of frequency and amplitude over time. The listener can literally watch the music as they listen to it.
YouTube, unlike many other streaming platforms, does not automatically normalize audio levels. This is another reason why Zucker recommends using the spectrogram video to listen to the album, so the listener can experience the dynamic shifts as they were intended.
Zucker’s new album is filled with lyrical and production genius. A web of synth pads, piano ballads, and guitar-driven melodies string each song together in a beautifully heart-wrenching story.
In his journey to find himself as an artist and as a human being, Zucker has created one of the most vulnerable albums I’ve ever listened to, and I highly recommend diving into this endearing soundscape of emotions.
Jared’s top album tracks
- “full stop”
Written through a stream of consciousness, Zucker let’s his inner thoughts run wild within the lines of this song. Beginning with a melodic transition similar to the verse structure of “not ur friend,” Zucker creates a track that utilizes the literary techniques of 20th century writers to share a deeply emotional experience.
- “lakehouse”
This one is just fun to listen to. From the mandolin introduction to the unique time signature of the chorus, the song just radiates a pleasant vibe. That being said, it is still just as personal, with lines like “Heaven arranged us to be where we are / But hell, I’m afraid / Cause being without you is soundin’ okay” portraying the loss of intimacy in a relationship. It all builds up to a chaotic ending, which transitions into a soft interlude explaining that the subject of the previous song has since moved on.
- “not ur friend”
Cutting out toxic relationships can be extremely difficult, but often necessary. In this song, Zucker makes it clear that he is done dealing with a toxic relationship when he says “I’ve decided that I’m not your f–king friend.” Driven with a simple acoustic guitar, the song continues to build, similar to the frustrations that come with the end of a relationship.
- “oh, mexico”
The first single from the album, “oh, mexico” discusses the infinite knowledge we have to learn in life, and that we are never done learning from life’s experiences. Despite the frustrations of existence and the constant search for identity, there is beauty in the unknown. In the line “I tried to be myself, but still, I’ve got some room to grow,” Zucker is acknowledging his desire to be complete but knows that is a height that may never be reached.
