Nourished By Time wanted to write “The Passionate Ones,” based on his inspiration from a combination of professional success, a desire to reframe the meaning of “work,” and deep personal reflections on love and existentialism, all crafted by the talented singer Marcus Elliot Brown. Upon listening to this album, I felt waves of emotion; each song having a unique meaning behind it. Some tracks left me reflecting quietly, while others made me feel alive and unstoppable.
Immediately in the first track, Automatic Love, I got a taste of the ‘90s R&B vibe that’s pervasive throughout the album. The background features soft, looping vocals that repeat the same lyrics, rather than introducing new ones each time. This is shown in the line, “I ain’t never been loved like this (before this),” on repeat near the end of the song. While the lyrics don’t flow with the music, they still evoke a passionate feeling, talking about how he had never been loved this way before. During this song, I felt the sense of joy that Brown must have felt. The only issue I encountered was the lack of lyrics. Because of this, this was not my favorite at all.
However, a song I did enjoy was “Max Potential”, as Brown sings, “Maximum potential / maybe I’m afraid of the future/ demons on their way to confuse ya./maybe it’s the comfort I’m used to/if I’m gonna go insane/ at least I’m loved by you.” As I listened to it, I found myself captured in a wave of emotions. The song encourages the listener to face their fears and uncertainties about the future, while also reassuring them that someone still loves them. And that person’s love can help encourage the listener to continue going. I could feel the weight of my own anxieties surfacing, making it easy to get emotional as I related to the artist’s reflections. The sense of sadness and beauty was almost transcendent.
While I enjoyed “Max Potential,” my favorite song was “It’s Time.” It has a groovy vibe that makes it impossible not to dance to. The lyrics that Brown sings make me feel like I was heard due to the descriptive words that describe a relatable situation some such as myself might be in. “I look at myself in the mirror, can’t say I feel any clearer/ we don’t conquer madness/ in the moments we war.” This perfectly describes a situation where someone is reflecting on themselves but fails to find clarity or resolution. Another example of relatable lyrics that hit differently when you listen to them for the first time are, “‘Cause I came here for love / But I dont wanna run from anything/ some truths you can’t deny when you open up, your eyes/don’t ask me stupid questions/ you know I’ve been tossed away,” from the song “Tossed Away.” However, what really struck me was the artist’s unique delivery in this song. He says each word in an exaggerated tone, which pulls it apart from other artists because he says it gently, line by line, with pauses in between. It’s a piece that sticks with you long after the music stops playing.
In general, the album has bittersweet qualities. While some songs could have a little more groove to them, they still had individual, unique meanings. For a 43-minute album, it’s worth the time to sit down and listen to.
