Last week, Rupert Angeleyes released an easy listening 7-track album Pillow Talk. Notes of psychedelia, pop, and funk, gives the record an infectious quality as the songs quickly grow on you and become stuck in your head without much effort. Sonically, Pillow Talk is playful and breezy. It’s the care-free soundtrack to swimming in a pool with your friends on a warm summer’s day. Lyrically, the album serves as a therapeutic vessel for the artist, who opened up about some of the themes throughout the album:
(I) had difficulty feeling loved or appreciated… I selfishly experimented with my ego. I wanted to see if someone found me attractive. I knew it was superficial– to strike conversations with strangers. However, I wanted that validation. Like creativity, it’s important to tread into unknown waters and react and learn from what happens. To explore. This collection of songs is an attempt to understand myself and the various relationships I went through.
Rupert Angeleyes was kind enough to send us an advance copy of the record, in its intended vinyl format. Listening to the album this way allowed us to fully absorb it, rather than consume it. There isn’t a convenient button to press when wanting to skip to the next song, or to replay a song. The end of side B catches you in an ambient “locked groove” which is a closing experience exclusive to the vinyl listener. Rupert further personalized the listening experience with the inclusion of a handwritten note in the record sleeve, where he shared his appreciation and even shouted out San Diego’s own Soda Bar. It’s the perfect record to throw on when having some friends over to kick back and have a drink or two.
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