Better Person – Something To Lose (2020)
Something to Lose is an album celebrating love by Better Person. While proclaiming a new devotion to someone, the fear of loss that comes with this intense moment is threaded through each track. This melding of emotions creates an honest and refreshing take on new love. The happy and uplifting emotions of euphoric moments are tempered by the fear and bittersweet underlying currents that make up life.
Adam Byczkowski, the man behind Better Person, combines his tender pop palette with forgotten Euro-pop tropes. Through the course of the album, he takes you on an emotional journey of the ups and downs of love and life. He also makes use of different languages to propel the emotional message of the album.
The album starts with ‘Na Zawsze’ which uses a light opening to draw you into the soundscape of the song and album. There is a depth to the melody that sweeps over you and has you resting back into it. The lightness of the vocal performance pulls you further back into the song and helps you relax even more. There is a lot of power in the performance as it weaves between the notes of the melody. While the lyrics are in Polish, the emotion in the performance transcends any language barriers.
‘Hearts on Fire’ has a faster tempo, but still retains some of that relaxed energy from the opening track. The beat of the melody has you moving lightly to the rhythm. The vocals are in English and have a feeling of new love about them. Through the performance, you are filled with the sense of a new romance and the first kindling of love. The melody has a little 80s Euro-pop vibe to it that works really well with the lyrics and emotions.
The slower pace returns for ‘True Love’ which opens with a gentle melodic line. Byczkowski’s vocals rise through the melody like the sun breaking through a light mist. There is a tender feeling to this song like it could take a sadder turn at any moment. The vocal performance is also filled with a vulnerable honesty that cuts through your chest and wraps around your heart getting ready to squeeze at any moment. The layers of the melody compound this with the horns playing a large role in the emotional hit of the track.
The title track ‘Something to Lose’ takes you back to the vibe of ‘Hearts on Fire’, but there is something a little more summery about the tones. There is a light driving beat to this track that makes you think of warm summer days on the beach. The vocals are atmospheric and feel like they could slip through your fingers at any moment. Through this single, you are filled with good vibes and a light euphoric energy.
‘Glendale Evening’ has a very intimate vibe that is first established by the opening piano line. There are higher tones floating over the lower piano line that create this great layered melody with you drifting through the middle. This does take a darker turn later in the song as the piano fades and synths come into play. This is a very interesting track that enhances the emotions of the album while giving you a moment to pause.
The next track is ‘Dotknij Mnie’ which takes you back to the Polish vocals. The song also takes a turn compared to the other tracks as it throws you into the more gothic sound that Better Person has become known for. There is a darker thread lurking in this song which brings the fear of loss into the album. While the songs before have built the lighter emotions of love, this track has a thread of fear of loss woven into the beats. However, this does not detract from the general feeling of light emotions.
‘Close to You’ hits you with those 80s vibes again from the first beats. At first, you imagine this will be a more upbeat single, but there is something that tempers the track. The melody has a driving beat, but you are also anchored to a more sombre tone. There is a great sonic interplay that fills you with light emotions while offering a sense of caution. The vocals have a light tone to them that you can float to, but there is something more to them as well.
The shuffling and popping opening of ‘Bring Me To Tears’ grabs your attention from the first second. The melodic synths that come in act as the beats while the vocals have an elegant conflict of emotions. Byczkowski’s performance has a longing that melds with a sense of sadness. The song makes you think of times in relationships that are filled with uncertainty, but there is a sense of hope through the love that both parties feel.
The album ends with ‘Ostatni Raz’ which has you dancing emotionally to the swirling melody. There is a wonderful interplay between the guitar line and the soaring saxophone that has you twirling with them. Below these instruments is a beat that makes you think of waves gently lapping on the beach. While this is an instrumental track, the tenderness and emotions of the album are infused in each note. This is a perfect way to end the album as it encapsulates every emotion into two minutes of instrumental goodness.
Better Person takes you on the emotional journey of new love filling you with euphoria and tempering this with darker emotions in Something to Lose. Each track fills you with positive emotions while a fear of loss lurks in the undertones.
Find out more about Better Person on his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
