John Hayes’ new album Nearer is the sound of ahead movement solid in a second of compelled stillness. Lengthy identified for his piano pushed and ambient work, the Denver based mostly producer makes a decisive leap into immersive digital territory with a report that feels each deeply private and quietly highly effective.
Written largely throughout restoration from a severe ski damage that left Hayes unable to stroll for months, Nearer channels an unstated stress between restlessness and restraint. That inner push exhibits up within the music by way of heat, driving rhythms, affected person builds, and emotional launch that by no means feels rushed or overstated. Somewhat than chasing peak moments, Hayes lets every monitor unfold naturally, trusting ambiance and momentum to do the heavy lifting.
Singles like “Nearer” and “For Now” launched this new route with grace, whereas “No matter It Takes” and the current “Gradual Break” spotlight the album’s emotional vary. The latter specifically appears like a pause slightly than a drop, a second of reflection that reinforces the album’s core theme of stability. On “All of the Reminiscences,” his collaboration with il:lo, Hayes finds an ideal counterpart, mixing melodic heat with delicate propulsion in a manner that feels easy and lived in.
Throughout the album, Hayes attracts from a lineage of artists who blur the road between residence listening and membership expertise. You’ll be able to hear echoes of Jon Hopkins, 4 Tet, Bicep, and Overmono, not as imitation however as shared philosophy. That is digital music that works simply as effectively in headphones because it does in a room full of individuals, constructed on emotion first and vitality second.
What makes Nearer resonate most is its restraint. Hayes resists overproduction, permitting area, silence, and texture to form the listening expertise. The arrogance right here is quiet however plain, signaling an artist who is aware of precisely the place he’s and the place he desires to go subsequent.
Nearer doesn’t demand consideration. It earns it. And in doing so, John Hayes delivers his most full and compelling assertion up to now.
LISTEN: John Hayes Finds Movement in Stillness on His New Album ‘Nearer’
