Reading-based rapper Songer is most widely loved for his introspective lyricism and the vivid pictures he can conjure with his words.
He’s recently experienced widespread success, and entry into the charts, with ‘Toxic (Freestyle)’. An artist with an incredibly strong core fanbase, he is now reaching more people than ever before. With ‘THE PRICE OF THERAPY’, Songer shows to all the new eyes that are on him, what he does better than anyone.
On ‘THE PRICE OF THERAPY’, it’s hard-hitting beats, and hard-hitting bars. It’s Songer unloading his stream of consciousness in a way that feels like he had no choice except to make each song. It’s the Songer many people initially became obsessed with, merged with the new directions he’s taken and improvements he’s made in recent years. It’s relatable, it’s personal, and it’s brilliant.
The project begins with ‘THOUGHT PARK’, immediately delving into honest lyricism that feels as though you’re taking a tour of his thoughts. Songer sets the tone for the introspection, blended with ferocious wordplay that is found throughout the tape. This takes us into ‘BEWARE OF THE DOG’, a high energy offering, infused with soulful vocal chops. The project really gets going here, with Songer unapologetically giving his perspective over an instrumental reminiscent of Old School Hip-Hop.
This energy is continued onto the leading single, ‘WIDE AWAKE’, which has just been given an hallucinogenic video accompaniment. Songer deploys a pitched down vocal section as the hook, standing out in showing his unique approach to song-writing. Later in the track, the instrumental switches to a Jersey Club drum pattern. This is the first time we’ve heard Songer over this style of production, and with his skippy flows, the result is immense.
‘FIND PEACE’ follows, with a determined sounding Songer delivering some of the best wordplay on the whole tape. This one speaks for itself. Definitely a stand out track on the project. ‘DEC22ND’ provides impressive, emotive vocals from the young rapper in the first half, before exploding into his trademark rap flows. He delves into the topic of friendship, with a short, but incisive verse.
‘IF THE SKY WOULD STAY BLUE’ is a metaphor-packed tale of love, family and anxiety, told over a lengthy six minutes. Working within these poignant topics is something that Songer does regularly, and seems completely at ease with.
However, when speaking on the project, Songer suggested the truth to be more complicated.
Songer reflected,
“The Price of Therapy is a project about coming to grips with the positive and negative consequences of using music as a form of help. It’s a balance of highs, lows, honesty and hyperbole, to express the challenges of acceptance. The music fluctuates between vulnerability and braggadocio, all with the underlying tone of beauty. I wrote it to maintain an honest relationship with my music, and so I can always associate future successes or failures with the most authentic version of myself. It’s a body of work to reflect who I am as a person, as well as an artist.”
‘GRATEFUL I MET YOUR HEART’ sees the tempo increase, with similar themes explored over a mellow garage instrumental. This shows a blend between Songer’s love of thought-provoking rap, and his love of dance music. The penultimate track, ‘LAVENDER’, continues the previously heard motifs, and once again delves into the Jersey Club genre. Songer’s experimentation into this new sound is highly welcome. At this point it feels like there’s no genre he doesn’t do justice.
Last but not least, we have ‘EVINHA’, which offers something slightly different to the rest of the project. The song begins with a slow, long build-up, and Songer once again showcasing his impressive singing ability. Liquid DnB drums are introduced gradually, building to a drop blessed with impactful instrumentation. Songer returns to the track with a rapid-fire verse, giving a full-showing of his versatility. This song stands out as a unique highlight to Songer’s ever expanding discography.
To conclude, there’s a purity to this project that is highly welcome. It’s certainly reminiscent of early Songer, and what fans fell in love with him for. The lyrics are powerful and honest, and the instrumentals are hard-hitting. However, it does contain elements of the newer sounds he has widened his discography to include. ‘THE PRICE OF THERAPY’ acts as the perfect bridge between both of the sonic world’s Songer has occupied through his musical journey. He has delivered yet again with this body of work, undoubtedly adding some of his best songs to date to his catalogue.
At this point he seems incapable of missing the mark, so wherever Songer takes things next, we will be sure to pay attention.
