Eventually, we all become reflections of our parents. That’s how the cliché goes, and it’s an idea that forms the core of Daniel Caesar‘s fourth studio album, ‘Son Of Spergy’. Many words have been scribbled and spoken on this subject, but this record feels ambitious nonetheless: a brutally honest and genuinely brave attempt to examine the complex ties that bind the Canadian singer (born Ashton Simmonds) to his father, Norwill.
The album was prompted by some soul-searching that took place after Simmonds’ 30th birthday. This landmark represented a moment of sudden maturation and sparked questions about the kind of man he wanted to be, which play out on ‘Son Of Spergy’ across a sprawling landscape of light, pensive, gospel-influenced soul music. On ‘Moon’, which evokes the feeling of a long drive into the unknown, with its rhythmic roll of soft tambourines and acoustic guitar strums, he gasps: “Is this what you call love? / Someday I will leave your home / I’ll be a man, I’ll make my own”.
Fuelling this self-discovery, there’s a palpable sense of Simmonds taking accountability for the character he has become. On ‘Who Knows’, he sings “Lately I’ve been thinking that perhaps I am a coward / Hiding in a disguise of an ever-giving flower”, while lead single ‘Root Of All Evil’ contains self-chastisements like “Am I a man or a beast? / Somebody please discipline me / For I’m a sinner”. In truth, there’s a slightly uncomfortable masochism to these moments, a kind of harsh self-flagellation that appears a little over-indulgent and doesn’t feel like it’s doing much good.
Tensions are eased by the soulful, cleverly constructed instrumentals Caesar stakes over. There’s variety, but coherence; ‘Have A Baby’ is a slow builder, its measured, consistent piano line and syncopated rimshots gradually forging a path towards a more expansive ending. Opener ‘Rain Down’, meanwhile, is more abstract and largely beat-less, instead using a warm piano base as the backbone for fluttering choral sections, including a glowing contribution from UK vocalist Sampha.
Strong gospel influences play an important role in fleshing out the connections between the artist and the muse (in this case, his father). Field recordings of muffled chatter help increase the sense of domestic exploration, as Simmonds navigates and interrogates his family inheritances. Sometimes the introspection is a touch overcooked, the lyricism stumbling into platitude. But the honesty and self-interrogation should be applauded, and the powerful, richly textured soundscapes behind it all show why Daniel Caesar is revered as one of the most important artists in modern R&B and soul.
