Melancholy, Soft, Uplifting.
Jose Gonzalez delivers a perfectly upbeat yet melancholy album with his newest release, “Against The Dying of The Light.” This album is filled with slow and steady backing instrumentals that play a pivotal part in every song, acting as a juxtaposition to Jose’s soft vocals.
This album offers ten new songs to Gonzalez’s three singles he released late last year and early this year. Throughout it, Gonzalez presents listeners with inspirational messages, mainly focusing on one having control of their own autonomy, no matter what’s in their way.
The first song of the album, and the last single he released before this album, “A Perfect Storm,” details the story of one doing whatever they want to do in life, as long as it leads them to success. This is really an upbeat start to the record and the lyrical meaning aids listeners in knowing what they’re going to get into as they continue this musical journey.
“Against the Dying of the Light,” which is the namesake of this album, paints a picture of a rebellion against the masses and realizing one has to make their own path in life, no matter what’s come before or what’s to come. This song pairs nicely with the penultimate song of this album, “You and We” as that song serves as Gonzalenz’s reassurance to the audience to believe in him and themselves because greatness is to come.
The Swedish Argentinian singer doesn’t only offer audiences inspirational messages but also provides them with beautiful melodies in his two native languages, with tracks six and eight being sung in complete Spanish and tracks nine and ten in complete Swedish. Despite the shift in vernacular, the songs still hold the same message of being your own person and unwavering perseverance.
“Joy (Can’t Help But Sing)” is the final track on this album and closes the album with a slow instrumental, different from how it began. Amongst all his songs, this is the most poetic as Gonzalez personifies everyday items/presences in nature and gives them magical, fairytale like traits, such as “A thousand lights dissolving the gray.” It is a melancholy song about one embracing everything around them and being happy that they’re alive and able to experience it all. This track serves as a nice wrap to the main theme being explored throughout the album, relaying the message that after one truly reaches their full potential, they’ll be conscious of everything around them and reach peak happiness to the point that they can’t help but sing.
Leave a Comment