Derek Jordan Humanist album review

I listen to music all day long and have been doing so for over 15 years. I’ve listened to more than one thousand albums, and this is not counting what is played on radios and MTV, the fast food of music. As a matter of fact I’ve gone bald. Once in a while there is a particular album that comes around as different, catchier than other and of a different level. It does not necessarily mean it is better than the others, or worse, just different, unexpected.  It catches your attention like a Ferrari driving down the road. Even if you do not like sports cars, the Ferrari will get your attention, because at the end of the day it is not an everyday car.

Exactly 1 year ago, Derek Jordan released his Humanist album, which is like that Ferrari driving down the road in between the other dirty common cars. The whole package, music, lyrics, atmosphere and the background of this album makes it a complete package. Even the variety of music genres included in this album, it is not something you would find easily. Derek himself says his music is psych alternative rock. I would not specifically mention a genre, but there is a good mix of mind blowing guitar work, drum machines and keyboards. Considering all music was written by him, being a solo project, Derek is in the right direction. I’ve read some complaints on other reviews, regarding the production, because it is not exactly what you would call pristine. Fine, that’s a fact, but haven’t we been complaining that today’s music is over produced? It is losing that real garage sound? Maybe because I have been listening to music for quite long, but very few albums produced lately really have that realistic sound like those rock records produced in the early nineties, when I had no hair on my back. It is a good thing when you listen to an album and it feels as if you are sitting in the band’s garage listening to them playing. Don’t you remember those humid garages full of posters of topless models, signatures of everyone who visited the garage on the wall and stinking smell of sweat? Those were the days!

Starting with a scruffy guitar riff and electronic beats for a couple of seconds, you’d expect the first track Liberate You to be a heavy out of hell track that will blow your teenager pimples.  But after some seconds it does change into calm music with melodious guitars. The chorus changes the song into a rebellious song. I might be crazy, but rarely wrong (big headed!) but in the chorus, maybe because of the way Derek sings, he sounds a little bit similar to the Godfather of heavy metal, Ozzy Osbourne. Even the music’s “heavy metal” parts, every now and then you can hear resemblance of the good old Ozzy music. The second track, Humanist is less heavy than the first track but contains more fast music and catchy guitar riffs. The beats, with cymbals being very prominent in the chorus make this song very catchy. Until we Fall, is more of a slow dragging song featuring good guitar harmonics. The last couple of seconds of this track, almost the last minute ends with echoing and harmonic vocals and weeping guitars. Worry about Your Own is again another fast paced song, with both scruffy guitar and melodious riffs. The song also features one of the best guitar solos in the album. The last track, Cold Outside couldn’t have been placed better. It is a perfect album closing song, with clean classic guitars and calm vocals producing a quiet and reflective song.

Derek’s lyrics throughout all the songs talk about the descent of humanity into emptiness, anger, desperation and hopelessness, driven by the anger of what the human race has become; trapped in their lives by fear and avoidance of pain resulting in the distortion of pleasure, adventure and freedom that life is meant to be. I do share his same opinion and I respect Derek Jordan for trying to be himself and not be driven by others. He clearly shows the same passion in his music, by producing a Ferrari while the whole music industry is producing Hyundai’s!

Liberate you official music video: