Up and coming RnB singer and songwriter Daniel Caesar recently dropped his new album after much anticipation. Son of Spergy is named after Caesar’s dad, Norwill Simmonds, whose nickname is Spergy. The album is based on his relationship with his father, understanding faith, and is dedicated to self exploration. This album highlights his childhood and past relationships while growing up in a religious household.
After leaving home at 17 to pursue a career in music, Daniel Caesar became popular from his debut album Freudian (2017). After that, he has been steadily gaining popularity with newer tracks like Superpowers and Always.
Son of Spergy is a beautifully composed album, but starting off with “Rain Down (Feat. Sampa)” might not have been the best choice. It had a nice start with its vocal harmonies, but the quality tapers as the song progresses and it isn’t super catchy. What elevates it was that it sounds like a church song with the choir in the background and an angelic piano, which ties back to the theme of this album.
As for the second track, “Have a Baby (With Me)” is such a beautiful song. With its slow, feel-good melody it’s definitely up there with the best songs on the album. The lyrics seem to be a tribute to someone Caesar wanted to have a long-term relationship with, with lines like “Have a baby with me before you leave.”
The next track, “Call On Me”, is by far my favorite song. The grungy alternative rock guitar caught my attention. This seems to be a tribute to someone he heavily cared for who doesn’t feel the same, with lyrics like, “Take advantage of my better nature” and “Get what you need and then I’m all alone.”
“Root of Evil” had a nice instrumental element and the overall pace of the song was perfect. It delves into Caesar’s relationship with faith again as one of the lines is “Sin is a gesture, that I know you see through” and many other parts of the song also relate back to religion. For example, the lyric “somebody please disciple me,” is Caesar asking out for anyone to help him trust and follow God.
The sixth and seventh tracks of the album are also up there as the most highly praised songs of the album. Both “Who Knows” and “Moon” showcase Caesar’s gift for making slow songs with lyrics that show emotional depth. For instance, this line in the song “Who Knows,”: “I’ll probably be a waste of your time, but who knows?” shows his heartbreak for someone through self-deprication. “Moon” stands out with its dreamy guitar and smooth melody which makes you feel like you’re in space.
“Sins of the Father” ties the album together as a beautiful closure. It showcases his family and childhood memories, while also letting go of elements of his past holding him back. A beautiful end to an amazing album, Son Of Spergy did not disappoint.
In the end, Son of Spergy is a well crafted album that highlights Caesar’s relationship with religion and complex childhood. Even though there are too many slow songs on this release, as long as you don’t listen to all of them in one sitting, you will see how each song is unique. Still, if you prefer upbeat pop or rock, Son of Spergy might not be up your alley.
