Although it has been five years since BRZOWSKI released a solo album, that doesn’t mean the Maine lyricist hasn’t stayed busy. In the fall of 2016, I had the pleasure of reviewing the full-length album The Glitter of Putrescence from BRZOWSKI’s hip-hop/doom metal band Vinyl Cape. Since then, he has toured internationally and, of course, worked on new music. Never slowing down, BRZOWSKI is now preparing for the release of his third solo album, Enmityville.
Similar to The Glitter of Putrescence, Enmityville takes a nihilistic, yet all too real, view of the issues facing the world today. Ideas between the albums aren’t rehashed, however, as Enmityville takes on a heavier, darker tone. If you have listened to The Glitter of Putrescence, you will know that’s really saying something. BRZOWSKI’s lyrics are slowed down throughout the entire album, making you feel the weight of each word. The deepness of his voice only adds to that.
As mentioned before, taking a gritty look at society is a main theme in every track, which has turned me off from some artists. With so much focus on what’s wrong in the world via social media and the news, taking a nihilistic approach to art is almost trendy. But with Enmityville, and all of BRZOWSKI’s work, it’s obvious that he isn’t out to appease mainstream. This is a much more personal endeavor for the artist and his carefully chosen lyrics reflect that.
For production, BRZOWSKI collaborated with fellow Milled Pavement Records artist C Money Burns, along with 80Hrtz and Chryso. The mix of live instruments and samples worked well together and I really enjoyed the unexpected jazz throughout. The track “Demonic Exercises” has a fantastic percussion-heavy jazz intro, which I listened to several times before moving on. It was undoubtedly my favorite song intro on the album. The mix of BRZOWSKI’s lyrics and jazz shouldn’t work, yet it does so well. It is obvious that BRZOWSKI doesn’t shy away from complexity in his delivery. I found this the most evident in “Lachrymimosa,” when the flow speeds up just enough to get the energy going while showing off what he’s capable of.
Enmityville is a well-crafted album that doesn’t let up on the heavy atmosphere from beginning to end. It may have taken five years to arrive, but fans should appreciate the high quality production, complex lyrics, and how true BRZOWSKI stayed to the brutally honest message he needed to convey. In other words, it was worth the wait.
The album will be released September 8th on CD and Digital by Milled Pavement Records. The album is available for pre-order now on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp.
