THETA BY BRYMO: ALBUM REVIEW || A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH AGES
Brymo is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, stage performer and author. His discography centres on folk, alt-rock, RnB, pop, afrobeat and soul genres. Theta is his 11th studio album (excluding EPs and compilations). A veteran in his chosen field, Brymo is one of the most consistent performers in the industry after bursting to the scene in 2010.
His ability to fuse in elements of different genres in a single project is one of his strengths, crowned with his smooth and effortless voice rendering heart warming lyrics that sticks in the mind.
Theta starts off with a deeply soulful rendition titled Illusions. The track starts with soft strings preluding the singer's voice which perfectly compliments the story he's about to tell. It's a story of Boyi and slave trade. It captures the illusion sold to Africans about the greener pastures overseas in contrast the realities.
"I talk am, I shout am, Boyi still dey travel go, na destiny dey push man wey him dey go ha (it's destiny that pushes man towards his destination)..... Oga master no want know, value pig pass people o/ E say dem be property with dog them equal o (the master does not care, he values pig more than humans, he says they're properties just like dogs)" Brym sings in this quite touching and soulful rendition that explores the plight of slaves under their slave masters. The lack of heavy instrumentation gives the song the extra feeling of sorrowful reminiscence.
Pim Pim is a deviation from the slow motion of Illusions. With gentle snares and trumpets on the background, Brymo goes on an inspirational tour trying to encourage this fictional human not to listen to the voices that are constantly trying to bring him down. Focus, inspiration and honest work are the virtues extolled in this beautiful piece.
"no listen Pim Pim, deliberate work dey pay listen/ follow your heart, e no easy/ life not harder, Oduimi" he sings on the hook.
A perfect track for anyone lacking in self confidence and inspiration. This filters into the next track Dem No Born US Together which has an anthemic feel. Here Brym wades into the realms of life, laying it bare that life is an individual race where everyone should be concentrated on their journey instead of trying to drag the other person down.
"dem no born us together, them no born us together /why you dey pull my trouser....why you dey look for wahala(they did not give birth to us together /why are you pulling my trouser....why are you looking for trouble)" he sings on the chorus.
The first love song comes at track 4 on Love Na Drug. Love is a beautiful thing they say, but for Brymo, it's a drug, or rather, more than a drug. He wonders if love is a drug, then her lover's own is more than a drug. Irrespective of what others are saying, he's determined not to be distracted by naysayers and concentrate on his lover. It is popularly quipped that money spices up love and relationships, so it is not surprising that what follows love in this album is "Money Good".
But the relationship here is platonic, it's the relationship with his friends. "Friends be like blanket, they keep you warm" he opens the track. Then he goes on to wax lyrical on how he rocks the party with his friends as he has excess money to blow. Everyone needs a friend like Brym I guess, to keep you warm and help release steam when necessary.
Life dey Go On is a return to the deeply philosophical realms of his musical abilities. It's a quick but deep breeze through the different stages of life and its peculiar travails. From birth, to when you crawl, walk, talk, school through adulthood. People come, people go, people love you, people hate you. It's all encompassed in this song. But the greatest message being that life goes on irrespective of these things.
Again as if taking us through a roller-coaster journey, Brym ups the tempo again on Tomorrow. This time it's as deep as it goes while the melody is temptingly groovy.
"all your problems temporary......fowl wey dey alive go chop corn (the fowl that's alive will eat corn eventually).....don't hold back glory with your envy".
Every line of lyrics conveys a relatable lesson from beginning to end. Fused with snares and trumpets with a conspicuous but melodious lead strings and bassline, it's an enjoyable song littered with lessons.
Oga would have made for a perfect soundtrack for a cowboy movie especially the actionscenes. Heavy kicks, loud snares, blazing guitars and a story about guns, ammunitions and a traumatic mind, Brym goes deep again. The lines are blurry and with double meanings. Whatever you hear on this track cannot be taken on face value, there are secondary meanings embedded in them.
"to hold person back, you go stay back to make sure/to hold person down, you go stay down to make sure/the warder one kind na prosper too(the warder is somehow a prisoner as well)"
that's how Brym opens Market Square. From the very first lines, the message is crystal clear. " Nawa for these people/they burn their barn down say na the straw do am". A story of those who in a bid to stall others end up destroying themselves.
Closing the project is For You, a love ballad for the woman of his dreams. A lady Brym calls his oracle, healer, the revealer who shows all he can be, comforter and the melody when he needs to sing. If she really motivates his melodies, then may she never leave him.
Theta is one of the best playlists so far this year, delivered perfectly by a seasoned artist who's very well versed in his craft and a master with his tools. One of the best things about this album is that, unlike most of his works which are rich in yoruba language, this was a completely English album. This makes it easy for anyone to easily get the grasp of his message.
Theta is a deeply philosophical body of work that is rich in wordplay and life lessons. Most of the songs are rich in messages presented in cryptic manner using words and sentences that might deceive in face value. It requires deep thinking and sometimes meditation to fully grasp some of the hidden meanings embedded in those songs.
This is a journey through the transatlantic era through the different generations leading to the present day and its peculiarities. It is a project that can be ageless, revealing different layers of wisdom everytime one gives it an audience. Brym has his ways with words and his mind is web of wisdom, decipherable only by the greatest of sages, and he shared a piece of it with us here.
I'd rate it a 9/10
You can Stream/Download Theta here
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