Revolve Acoustic EP - Review

F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that "the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." One of the most intriguing things about Justin Guarini's voice is that it consists of two opposing characteristics at the same time. It is at once raw edged and fluid. The fluidity has been on display in his recorded music, starting with "Justin Guarini," but too often, the recorded versions are sweetened and the rawness is lost.

That is not true of Revolve, the new three song EP Justin has released through his new label, Revolutionary Entertainment. The songs, "Sweet Time, " "Rock Bottom," and "When She Cries," are performed with a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment. Written and produced by Justin and his close friend, Shaun Ingram, the project is an examination of the complexities of relationships. On first blush, that description might seem rather commonplace, addressing well-worn themes, but these songs move beyond the typical "she loves me, she loves me not" lyric qualities of popular music.



"Sweet Time," a folk-soul song that could well have appeared on one of fellow Philadelphian Amos Lee's albums, opens with an immediately relatable expression of exasperation: "Haven't we done this once? Let's not do this again. All I want is sweet time, babe." In "Rock Bottom," Justin sings of destructive emotional obsession:

You shattered my innocence, you laughed at my tears.
You broke down my last defense, you wasted my years.
But you got something that money can't buy.
I feel just like a junkie, do anything, anything to make you mine.

The song then leads into a chorus that aggressively analogizes desire to facilitation of addiction, culminating with Justin's falsetto lamenting "You keep me fixed, you run my life."

The final song, "When She Cries," offers a blues-rock take on the male view of woman as cipher. It is on this song, perhaps, that the two opposing qualities of Justin's voice are put to their strongest test, displayed in the closing moments of the song.

Oh then she cried, then she cried, do you believe that she cried?
Oh, and a part of me died, a part of me died, oh, just a part of me died, oh every time.

When music is performed in this stripped down style, it cannot hide. Throughout the EP, the songs have the strength of storytelling and imagery. The lyrics avoid cliche, and the melodies linger. All this with the just the power of an instinctive voice and insightful songwriting.

If there is any frustration with this project, it is the prospect of not enough people hearing it. Unfortunately, no matter how compelling his music is, Justin doesn't have the platform to launch a new project that others from American Idol are fortunate to have. His work doesn't have the immediate public ear the way a David Cook or a Daughtry project does, for example. For some others, the fact he was an Idol will be reason enough to pass by a Justin Guarini project, regardless of its storytelling and execution.

It shouldn't be a zero-sum game. In fact, it isn't. This is good stuff - go check it out if you haven't. You'll enjoy it more than the empty calories of the Starbucks you might buy instead.

Revolve Acoustic EP - Digital Download Link