John Hayes’ new album Nearer is the sound of ahead movement solid in a second of pressured stillness. Lengthy recognized for his piano pushed and ambient work, the Denver primarily based producer makes a decisive leap into immersive digital territory with a document that feels each deeply private and quietly highly effective.
Written largely throughout restoration from a severe ski damage that left Hayes unable to stroll for months, Nearer channels an unstated pressure between restlessness and restraint. That inside push exhibits up within the music via heat, driving rhythms, affected person builds, and emotional launch that by no means feels rushed or overstated. Slightly than chasing peak moments, Hayes lets every observe unfold naturally, trusting ambiance and momentum to do the heavy lifting.
Singles like “Nearer” and “For Now” launched this new course with grace, whereas “No matter It Takes” and the latest “Gradual Break” spotlight the album’s emotional vary. The latter specifically appears like a pause reasonably than a drop, a second of reflection that reinforces the album’s core theme of steadiness. On “All of the Recollections,” his collaboration with il:lo, Hayes finds an ideal counterpart, mixing melodic heat with delicate propulsion in a manner that feels easy and lived in.
Throughout the album, Hayes attracts from a lineage of artists who blur the road between dwelling listening and membership expertise. You may hear echoes of Jon Hopkins, 4 Tet, Bicep, and Overmono, not as imitation however as shared philosophy. That is digital music that works simply as effectively in headphones because it does in a room full of individuals, constructed on emotion first and power second.
What makes Nearer resonate most is its restraint. Hayes resists overproduction, permitting area, silence, and texture to form the listening expertise. The arrogance right here is quiet however plain, signaling an artist who is aware of precisely the place he’s and the place he desires to go subsequent.
Nearer doesn’t demand consideration. It earns it. And in doing so, John Hayes delivers his most full and compelling assertion to this point.
LISTEN: John Hayes Finds Movement in Stillness on His New Album ‘Nearer’
