Benefits from not separating art from the artist

Time for a heavy backstory! Zack Rosen was a singer-songwriter who ran in the same circles as Sean Lennon, showing up on some albums as a bass player but privately writing his own music. Sadly, a long bout with schizophrenia led to him tragically taking his own life in 2010. Lennon has helped cultivate some of his songs into posthumous releases: first this four-song EP, Circles, and a record slated for release in the spring of 2023. While Circles could easily be classified as another rapacious post-humous grave-robbing, it is noted that all the proceeds go to various charities. Discussing the album’s quality feels like kicking it down as a result. It’s pleasant and intimate, but Rosen’s delivery leaves a lot to be desired. The bit of emotional resonance it does have feels like it comes from the knowledge of Rosen’s tragic story.

Circles is not full of amateurish charm or studio inserts like most posthumous releases. The lack of percussion results in a languid tempo that lets the listener simmer in squeaky strumming, solemn piano and chamber pop strings. He slips some deft noodling onto “Circles” and “Arctor,” and “Too Late” has a harsh clanging within the guitar work. On the whole, there’s not much to differentiate songs from one another, which is more acceptable on a 4 song EP, so everything sounds fine.

Rosen’s voice does not stand out in the crowded sphere of singer-songwriters. The wispy high-pitched delivery that sounds wonderstruck by everything does not bring anything new to the table. The addition of stacked vocals on “There You Are” and “Too Late” works with the former’s insecurity evolving into self-acceptance and the latter’s anguish. “There You Are” is the most lyrically compelling song. Rosen confronts his inner self and wonders how anyone could accept his flaws before realizing that this is all he has, and he and others have to learn to love and appreciate him for him. It’s the shortest song on the record, yet it packs the most wholesale punch.

The most haunting moment from the record comes in its final minute as “Too Late” closes with Zach singing, “It’s too late / it’s too late / it’s too late to ease anybody’s pain.” On its own, it’s not an especially notable line, but placing it in the context of Zach’s struggles is what turns it tragic. The album was undoubtedly sequenced to end at this moment, and while effective, it cannot help but feel exploitative by relying on knowledge of real-life tragedy to have an impact.

One could argue all art is engineered to manipulate and rely upon the artist’s life story to have an impact. For example, the closing and title track of Linkin Park’s One More Light became tragically prescient with Bennington’s suicide. However, the tracklist was not curated before his death to end on this note like it is here. It’s OK to rely upon the audience’s familiarity for emotional resonance, but the calculation that went into “Too Late” ending the record is what pushes it into uncomfortable territory.

Likely, Circles is not the best music Rosen was capable of. With time he could have developed his unique voice and style into something remarkable. All that’s left is an average EP where the affecting moments work with knowledge of Rosen’s tragic passing. It’s just not fair.