Taiyo Na – Love Is Growth
Na, you “take [our] breath away.”
There’s something undeniably soul-rootsy about Taiyo Na. Na’s debut album, Love is Growth, is storytelling through music at its finest, with all its fragile and spirited nuances. Whether he’s singing a tribute to an immigrant mother (“Lovely to Me”) or serenading a new lover (“Moonlight City (Reprise)”), Na captures the essence of his surroundings, channeling an ethereal honesty that will hook you in from the funktastic first track, “One More Time.” You get the feeling this is a man who’d be just as comfortable with a stripped-down acoustic guitar and spare African drum accompanying his raspy raw voice as he is with bumpin’ beats and a looping track in the background.
Na’s song topics demonstrate the versatility and storytelling prowess he has developed so well over the years, from his 2005 offering, Whole Heart Mixtape. “Lovely to Me (Immigrant Mother)” streams a haunting acoustic guitar melody laced with soft percussion and beats. The lyrics speak from the heart: “She wakes up in the morning when the birds are loudest/Something about her feels like Mary…I’ve got an immigrant mother/Like no other to me.” The song references adobo, a Filipino home-cooked staple. This is a truly beautiful track in that legit-good-old-fashioned-home-grown-back-when-men-were-taught-to-be-gentlemen way. The album also features guest vocals from Koba, Conchita Campos, Kevin So, Vudoo Soul, Emily C. Chang, and others.
Love is Growth combines the earthy undertones of the streets of New York with the urban soul of a man wise beyond his 25 years. The songs got me at equal turns bopping my head and longing for another place and time. 1970’s trip-hop and threadbare, thumping beats provide the rhythm to the showcase: Na’s distinct voice, which alternates from a crooning hush (“Kasama”) to a sandpaper husk (“Troublemaker”). Na’s album transcends geographic boundaries and even time, blending a mélange of rich flavors and aromas to the music mix.
Some more notable tracks:
“Kasama” talks about the daily struggles of a homegirl (“She’s gotta do what she’s gotta do/She’s gotta do what she feels is true/She’s gotta go where she’s gotta go/She’s gotta go where she feels her soul”). Can you dig it?
“Take My Breath Away” is a plaintive tune that reminds me of a more refined version of a wolf howling to his love at the crack of dawn (not that I think Na sounds like a wolf).
“One More Time” channels Jimi Hendrix and The White Stripes laced over groovy old-school beats.
“Let’s Go Back” lends a soothing touch with an appropriate fade-out. At the end of the song, you’ll want to grab your main squeeze and wrap your arms around ‘em as you sway to this slowed down ode to a lover that is just Na and his guitar (“I want to love you/Let me treat you right/Girl, I want to love you/Every day and every night”). Close your eyes and allow yourself to mind-travel through the alleyways of love. Na makes an excellent tour guide.
My personal favorite is the title track, “Love Is Growth,” which pays homage to the Asian American experience, a fresh perspective being explored by more and more artists these days.
Note the front cover design: Na’s pores and scruffy facial hair are fully visible. He doesn’t front about who he is or airbrush his appearance. His expression is fully open and exposed, as if to say: This is me. Think what you will.
Love is Growth is a CD that feels much like a record – there’s a fine quality and cohesion to its compilation, with retro throwbacks galore. This album is well worth an investment and leaves you desiring Part 2 to Na’s growth. Pop in this CD and step inside his world. Be prepared for a journey through the sometimes gum-speckled but always free-flowing avenues of the heart. You may not come back the same.
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Great review. I’ve been spinning the disk and feeling it – and I agree that this one is an album rather than a collection of songs. And he even shouts out to the desis on Roosevelt Ave in Moonlight City.
The first time i heard immigrant mother live, i was brought to tears, cause it was really touching for me. First time i ever cried to a song.