Immersing us with a rising synth detail which expands into guitar and bass layers, we are already hypnotized by the opening song, You’re Not My Friend from Semler‘s new EP titled, Stage Of A Breakdown.
Setting the vibe with the poignant lyrics, “Check tape, you used a natural disaster just so you could go and ruin my day, fuck sake, like if I’m really such a heathen, why can’t you just stay the hell out my way?”, Semler delivers a self-realized energy to kick off their EP, as they continue “Oh I pray that Jesus Christ is revealed to you one day.”
Semler is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and content creator who has seen their previous EPs chart at number one on the iTunes Christian music charts—making Semler the first openly queer artist to ever achieve this.
We love their delivery and luscious harmonies, fused with dynamic guitar and thought-provoking lyricism that really shines a light on the depth of oneness and love energy.
Next up is Don’t Tell Anyone, which opens with a bold and immersive frequency and the lyrics, “Pipe down, pipe down, you don’t wanna cause a scene, you don’t wanna be the reason that we’re asked to leave…”
The song expands to deliver a message of apology, secrets, the human condition, and a cyber-esque deliver of the chorus of the song along with meaningful lyricism about a connection between the protagonist and their muse for the opus.
“I want you in the worst way, I wanna be the secret you’re afraid to say…” sings the rising artist on the danceable bop written from Semler’s ex-friend’s perspective.
Twenties is the third track on the EP where Semler sings, “Honey I would never change you, from your rebel ways…” on the song which provides Semler’s response to that judgment and loss of love. We love the instrumental segments with luxurious vocal textures.
The last two tracks, Raise Up and Outro narrate a resolution to the pain and find Semler once again searching for divinity amidst chaos. The keys on Raise Up are elegant and the background vocals evoke an almost choral sentiment.
We love Semler’s artistry and the video universe that they have created with Jax Anderson. Don’t Tell Anyone has also been added to our New Music Spotlight playlist!