SYML’s fluid vein of songwriting runs deepest yet on his third studio album, “Nobody Lives Here,” out now via Nettwerk. A meditation on the intricacies of human life, the 11-track album reveals SYML’s growth as a writer, producer, and storyteller. Every song richtet SYML the contradictions in life, the elapse of time, and the raw vulnerability of the human experience.
The making of the album was a profound personal journey for the Seattle-based singer-songwriter. SYML calls the record a reaction to the ongoing hubbub that defines his life. SYML states that we change, the world changes, and there’s so much unknown mulling over the themes of transformation throughout the album. He turns inward to seek the answers that rage within every human to explain those vast questions of life, love, and loss and to embrace the beauty in the unknown.
Songs such as “Careful” and “Please Slow Down” do a good job of showcasing the poignancy of SYML’s growth as a person. In “Careful,” he addresses the risks of comparison, something most of us can understand as we figure out who we are amid relationships and work. It’s a gentle reminder that while these things help us evolve, they don’t define us. The album’s emotional weight culminates deeply in “The White Light of the Morning,” in which SYML reflects on losing his father, mentioning dreams of a tranquil afterlife where his father doesn’t know he’s gone. The song conveys the helplessness and yearning that accompany loss and the mysterious ways our minds process grief.
“Nobody Lives Here” serves as a vessel, a powerful reminder of the complex emotions that shape our lives. From the haunting beauty of “Carry No Thing” to the introspective nature of “Heartbreakdown,” in which SYML dives into the lessons learned through love and heartbreak, Brian Eichelberger’s work as a producer here supports SYML’s tendering vocals and floaty sound to create an environment where the introspective themes in the album can live. With “Nobody Lives Here,” SYML reflects fragile beauty within life’s contradictions, reassuring you to take your time and navigate your life journey. This album mediates what it means to be human in a world of perpetual flux.
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