Mike Indest is a solo artist from New Orleans, America and Fields is his new album released on 03/10/2022.
An alternative rock / indie rock album, it is about childhood religious trauma and is obviously a very personal album to him.
He says, “This album is for and about the younger me. The me who didn’t have the language to express my needs or confusion. The me who wasn’t given the opportunity to comprehend what was really going on in the abusive world of Christian fundamentalism.”
Mixing many genres, from soft rock to new wave pop rock, this album is a very emotional, heartfelt album that deals with some very strong issues yet in a gentle way.
The guitars are acoustic, the drumming is subtle, and the vocals are extraordinary, soft, and melodic yet powerful enough to convey the message of the album.
Percussion features quite heavily in the album, with electronic sounds and bites popping up every now and then in the background, adding depth and intensity to the album.
The tracks are well placed and the mix of tempos and paces throughout each track and the album as a whole are enough to keep the listener engaged and never once while I was listening through this, which I did several times, did I get bored with it.
This is a very Jekyll and Hyde album, beautifully put together and produced to a very high standard but also dealing with some dark issues, that both the artist and a lot of people have been through.
Music is always an effective way to get a message, good or bad, across to listeners and this album really makes you sit up and think about the issues it is describing, so that is a job well done by the artist.
I would like to hear more from this artist and will definitely be checking out his Spotify and YouTube profiles to see what I can find.
Please give this album a listen and pay attention to the themes it is explaining, as whether we like them or not, they need to be told!
Track Listing:
1 The Curtain Falls
2 My First Confession
3 He’s Breaking Records
4 Oh Benny
5 Fields Part 1
6 Fields Part 2
7 Fields Part 3
8 Stories I’ve Heard
9 The Exile Is over?
10 Do The Neglect
11 Sophomore Slump
12 88 Reasons
13 God’s Kink
14 Reformation Day (Bonus Track)
15 My Heart Beats Faster When You Are Around (Bonus Track)
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum