Gabriel – by Keshi

Casey Luong, a product of the independent-bedroom-producer subgenre, silently rose to prominence as Keshi, a singer-songwriter who combines experimental, lo-fi rhythms into gloomy tales of desire and love. Keshi’s thirst for more sophisticated guitar lines, combined with his sweet voice, earned him millions of followers on Soundcloud, where he launched a run of popular singles and EPs dating back to 2018. Keshi released ‘GABRIEL,’ in 2022. An ambient portrayal of his personal journey up to the present, with the assistance of executive producer Elie Rizk

Keshi flaunts his more materialistic side on the opening track, ‘GET IT,’ resulting in a hilarious microcosm of what makes Keshi so amazing. A tranquil flute choir sample and his father’s voice are disrupted by sirens, and swagger reigns supreme. A catchy blend of trap beats, angelic pianos, and Keshi’s voice sets the tone for the album. It’s possibly the most lively song on the album, and possibly the finest. Keshi points to some interesting directions in the early half of the record, but never completely leans into them. The seductive ‘TOUCH’ is a traditional story of passion bringing two people together when they shouldn’t, yet the booming, spacious kicks add a welcome edge to the track.

‘HELL/HEAVEN’ opens with a soft chorus before rising into ripples of velvety layers that eventually break out into twisted glitch beats. This juxtaposition with Keshi’s gentle, voice, however, he never sits on them too long. ‘GABRIEL’ also fixates on stardom very tragically, which works great within the context of the song. ‘GABRIEL,’ nodes towards Keshi’s previous life as a nurse before he decided to pursue music. He wonders if it was all worth it. ‘WESTSIDE,’ for example, questions if there’s space for a relationship among Keshi’s increasing dreams, spoken over a dreamy guitar riff. ‘LIMBO,’ on the contrary, arrives at this point and wonders if it was all worth it. As Keshi struggles with his own self-worth, “LIMBO” blends delicate, fingerpicked guitars and soothing pianos. This album seems like an analogy to Keshi’s life. It touches on topics related to his desires, homesickness, and loss of self.

The album’s biggest strength is its tendency to play with musical formulas and lyrical clichés, without it sounding overbearing. I think tracks like ‘MILLI’ perfectly encapsulates this. However, I believe Keshi can improve further on his lyricism to showcase more of his personality which I’m hoping to see in the future. It’s obvious Keshi knows what he’s doing as in certain songs like ‘UNDERSTAND’ he manages to play with emotional motifs while paying tribute to his partner.. ‘GABRIEL’ is a serviceable debut album that demonstrates Keshi’s ear for gorgeous, soft production. Keshi’s guitar skills and writing has evolved into something new, compared to his older songs. The sound of this album is perfect for those who enjoy easy-to-listen beats with a touch of nostalgic memorabilia.