The Secret Songs of Us: Moments in Slow Motion

By: Nick Durant

It's always exciting to see when an artist parts ways with their band to see where their musical direction goes on their new projects because for some it's the first chance they've gotten to truly do what they always wanted and for others it's a chance to try something different. Justin Yost is a prime example of an artist finding their sound after his time in the metalcore band Everyone Dies in Utah and crafting the music for his new project The Secret Songs of Us as the sole member. His 2014 crowdfunded Essentials of Human Emotion EP was a nice introduction to his new lighter sound blending some pop punk influences with electronic elements to make a catchy first offering.

After two years, Yost has returned with his first full length under the TSSOU moniker entitled Moments in Slow Motion which continues to develop the sound heard on his first EP. Throughout 11 tracks, there are many different vibes that add several dimensions and never loses its flow once. Going from upbeat moments like the track "Shallowing Breathing" immediately into the more mellow song "Sick" surprisingly transitions well which is one of many spots where songs that don't seem to be cut from the same cloth somehow can still be sewn together to make a beautiful bigger picture.

The pop punk influence comes out on "Baltimore Kid" paying some homage to where Yost is from and of course Baltimore is known for their pop punk scene and being the birthplace of All Time Low among others. "Shallow Breathing" would be another standout pop punk track on the album although the synth that makes brief appearances in the choruses could have been left out. Yost knows how to write catchy choruses and this song would definitely go over well in a live situation. "The Tin Man" would be another great pop punk song to see at a show because of its bouncy feel.

This record really introduces a more pop side to The Secret Songs of Us which blends very well with the more rock songs that are reminiscent of the sound of Yost's first EP. The song "Burning Pictures" is a beautiful ballad like pop centered track featuring Yost using various vocal effects over a rap like beat. The track includes a surprising rap feature from Nck Frmptn which fits well with the rest of the song and shows the diversity of the album. The pop oriented tracks bring nice mellow vibes especially the track "Comrades in the Dark" which is beautiful love song with a very atmospheric feel. "Mr. Clock, Sir" is another one of the standout poppier tracks with serene piano and a pop/hip-hop beat with emotional lyrics of separated lovers. Also, the blend of pop with rock works well in the opening track "Falling" where there is a poppier section of the song that is reminiscent of The 1975 especially since of the lyrical reference to "the city" which is probably coincidental but it is an interesting detail.

One of the most exciting aspects of Moments in Slow Motion is "A Dark Core Through the Glass Floor" which is somewhat of a sequel to his previous band's song "A Glowing Core Through the Glass Floor" which was one of Yost's favorite tracks he did with EDIU. The lyrics relate to the EDIU song and even uses some of the lyrics word for word including the chorus which is really cool to see the song grow into something new.

Yost really finds a unique sound for himself with The Secret Songs of Us and shows his ability to dip into different genres and being able to tie everything together nicely. It will be interesting to see if he follows this up in the future and where he will go from here.

Posted in: WSOU, Metal