Guess Pre’s “Clarity.” The name itself feels like a punchline missing its joke, or maybe the setup to a philosophical riddle I’m not equipped to solve. Gregory Stanton, the Wisconsin-based artist behind the moniker, has served up a nine-track album that’s… well, it’s trying to be a lot of things, and surprisingly, mostly succeeding.
This isn’t background music for folding laundry. It’s more like the soundtrack to a fever dream where you’re simultaneously filing your taxes and learning to salsa dance. Grimrose’s mixing gives this multi-genre selection a polished professional feel.
The album, mastered by Lia Kahn, dives headfirst into Stanton’s sobriety journey, grappling with the mundane chaos of daily existence. There are shades of early 2000’s electronica, but, and for some reason, also hints of an old dial up modem sound mixed in. That sounds insane, I Know, but just follow me here. It works. It creates some sense of urgency, or maybe the “dial-up” evokes that connection, I’m just not quite sure.
Responsibility, self-doubt, the relentless hum of anxiety—it’s all in here.
“Clarity” is presented with an unexpected instrumentation and sonic texture. Stanton worked alongside various local producers to provide the wide ranging beats to back his unique vocal performances.
It’s like Stanton took EDM, punk, and lyrical rap, tossed them into a blender with a handful of existential angst, and hit “frappe.” The result is sometimes jarring, sometimes breathtaking, and always… interesting. One minute you’re nodding along to a beat that wouldn’t be out of place in a cyberpunk club, the next you’re pondering the nature of reality. Why is cheese so expensive? It’s questions like these, alongside Stanton’s own personal questioning that “Clarity” invokes.
“Clarity” shows marked maturity, and offers listeners a positive and cohesive perspective, that has a solid base for futher expansion on later releases.
Is this the sound of enlightenment? Probably not. But it’s a compelling, confusing, and ultimately captivating snapshot of one person’s attempt to make sense of it all. And, honestly, isn’t that what the best art should be?
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