(click here for free download)
In my short experience with D.I.Y., it seems to be a testament to the power of self-discovery, self-knowledge, and the ultimate, perfect life balance. It’s a journey in which the main character discovers the worth of his individuality and sets out to express that individuality and protect it at all costs.
The first thing you hear on the EP is the sound of Marvin Gaye’s voice on “21Sev7n”. It induces the ever-familiar feeling of morning sun on a newly awoken face and when Curtiss King’s voice comes in, it squints through the blinding light to see the day for what it is: an opportunity. This introduction is true to it’s purpose in that it tells us King’s current status in life and where he plans to take himself and the ones he cares for.
(click here for free download)
The record is peppered with humor and salted with honesty reminding it’s audience that this is a person making this music–an artist–not a boxed-in, boxed-up, pre-packaged product pristinely awaiting purchase. There are GUTS on this download. Songs like “Sinbad” and “That’s How My Day Is Going” waft in and out of fantasy and fact, similar to nineties sitcom character, Ally McBeal. Perhaps this storytelling tactic is strategically placed here to reinforce the nostalgic theme of “Sinbad” in which Curtiss claims to think he’s “…Kid N’ Play, the life of the party.”
As you continue journeying through D.I.Y. you begin to realize how cerebral it is. It’s like you’re a tiny person walking around Curtiss King’s mind. You experience aggression (“Zipperlips”), lust (“P.C.C.”), pride (“FeelsGood”), greed (“What I Need”), and the general playtime your thoughts get as they slip and slide in-between and throughout one another (“Supernova”). Then, finally, with “Point Your Fingers”, you are transferred out of the artist’s psyche and back into your body where you are reminded of your importance as an audience member. It’s an honest account of the fan-to-performer relationship, and a declaration of the necessity of both roles in an artistic dialogue.
D.I.Y. is an all-accepting, analysis of past experiences that have been transformed into present knowledge. The natural balance of the work makes it believable, and honest.
Make Love & Do Work,
~s
Posted on July 11, 2011
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