BY: DIGITAL WAX MEDIA STAFF 

 

Channeling the decadence and stylistic exploration of the 1970s, Gyasi is back with a pair of high-octane singles of ahead of an upcoming brand new studio album release, Here Comes the Good Part.

 

Propelled by singles “Sweet Thing” and the recently released, “Cheap High,” Here Comes the Good Part is expected to see release early next month through Alive Natural Sound Records. The album follows 2022’s Pronounced Jah-See, material from which drew comparisons to influential acts such as T. Rex, David Bowie, and Jack White.

 

Gyasi himself cites the above as prominent influences, along with pioneering bluesmen such as Robert Johnson, and Howlin’ Wolf, as well as the revelatory work of Django Reinhardt, to name a few. Though the mountains of West Virginia in which Gyasi came up may seem a far cry from the glitz and glamor often associated with rock & roll, the multi-instrumentalist maintains that one can dictate their own destiny and identity.

 

 

Listeners’ first taste of the upcoming LP comes in the form of “Sweet Thing,” a tightly arranged track with a vintage feel that clocks in at just under three minutes. The straight-ahead blues-rock feel of the track is offset by acoustic guitar chords which provide warmth and balance to anchor the proceedings. The tune itself explores Gyasi’s own perspective on identity and the performative nature of much of the interactions that occur within society. “It’s a sweet thing when you get to be who you really are,” reads the song’s chorus line.

 

The second single from Here Comes the Good Part, “Cheap High” opens with frantic double-time drumming which quickly blossoms into what could conceivably be pitched as a lost White Stripes cut from the duo’s early 2000s run. There’s a real punk sensibility to “ Cheap High,” which is out the door just as quickly as it arrived, clocking in at just two minutes and thirty seconds. The “punk” of it all is offset by a blistering, wah-drenched solo that really hyper-charges the already heavily adrenalized proceedings. The resulting cut reads a bit like an amalgam of pioneering punk rockers The Ramones and 70s British glam rock act The Sweet.

 

This isn’t to say that Gyasi’s output is merely a coagulation of various influences. But it is important to note that this work is being informed from a distinctly different place than even the notable rock music of the current day. The references to works of the past in analysis of the work is intended simply to act as a line of reference by which to get a general idea of what’s being exhibited here. But make no mistake, an artist such as Gyasi is nothing if not original, and he is certainly putting his own spin on the ideas which laid the foundation of the rock & roll music that we all know and love.

 

One might argue that the production value of the material is also worth noting. Gyasi worked in collaboration with Bobby Holland for the production of Here Comes the Good Part, and the two manage to establish a distinctly organic feel which characteristically harkens back to the more straight-ahead output of rock’s more classic era as opposed to the hyper-compressed, overblown sonic circus feel which most modern producers and engineers bizarrely seem to find so appealing.

 

Also of note is the utilization of Gyasi’s touring band in the recording of much of the material included as part of the upcoming Here Comes the Good Part. While in the past the multi-instrumentalist has been known to take a very hands-on approach, in some cases performing the bulk of the instrumentation for projects himself to great effect, the presence of a full ensemble for the album contributes nicely to the organic and vintage feel of the overall sound.

 

Gyasi’s Here Comes the Good Part is due to hit shelves on Friday, February 7, 2025. Singles “Sweet Thing” and “Cheap High” are currently available to stream on all major platforms, and the official “Sweet Thing” music video can be found at the Gyasi YouTube page.