New Vibrations: Jetlag album review

Michael Milosh, known as “Milosh,” and member of the two-man musical group Rhye, released his fourth solo album, Jetlag, this past November. The Canadian musician is known for his lush, soothing voice and use of soft synthesizers to create a sound distinctly laid-back and sensual.

Fans of bands like Beach House or James Blake should consider listening to his music. Compared to some of the more dance oriented electronic music being released, Milosh’s sound envelops listeners, slipping them into a sensory experience that relaxes and puts their mind at ease.

His music initiates a time to reflect and imagine, a time when one’s innermost thoughts come to the surface. Milosh’s cooing voice, paired with soft beats, expresses the ethereal quality of time and daily sensations. It seems that previous experience with jazz and classical music, especially with the cello, may be what has influenced Milosh to create a distinctive sound that reaches deeper into the physical experience of music, a sound that is distinctive in the genre of electronic music.

While Milosh’s previous albums describe more impulsive and transient aspects of love and relationships, with lyrics like “Just a woman I loved/You’re just a woman I lived with/I wish that lie was true. . .” (from Leaving Samui, album iii), a few songs on the album, Jetlag, hint at a more serious relationship.

This is fitting as Milosh’s wife of nearly two years, actress Alexa Nicolas, worked with him on the album. He himself describes the album as “an expression of my deep love for my wife, my happiness and excitement for a new place in my life, my sadness or fear of stepping out of my old life. . .”

Jetlag is about dancing between two worlds simultaneously, learning about myself through the process and ultimately making a choice to be with someone, to fully commit to that life even though it’s on the other side of the world.” Lyrics like “a quiet calm is creeping in” and “can we all just slow down” (“Slow Down” on the Jetlag album) suggest that Milosh has in fact begun a new phase of his life and is discovering the intricacies of a more lasting relationship as well as new sides to himself. This is not to say however that the album pretends life is now straightforward. The song, “Do You Want What I Need” includes a diverse combination of instrumentals and background music, including samples of Alexa Nicolas’ voice. The individual sounds are not completely congruous yet when blended together, the result is a voluptuous whole.

The slight dissonances reveal the genuinely conflicting nature of emotions. The auditory combinations paired with the lyrics of the song “need you to be able to break my heart, be able to break me apart. . .” and “I want you to get lost in my mouth forever”(said by Alexa Nicolas) furthers a sense of sexual tension. The song is honest and tries to explore and arouse intimate and complex feelings.

Time is also an integral component of the album. Not only do the song lyrics reflect its importance but so do the dreamy, lingering instrumentals and Milosh’s mesmerizing voice. In the song “This Time,” Milosh sings “this time that is our time, this time around” and “I am in my best time, best time,” which suggest that he has a newfound appreciation of the present. The lyrics are repetitive and rather simplistic with the vocals blending into the instrumentals. This creates a sense of eternity which captures the listener.

The sound evolves gracefully like stream of consciousness writing style and leads the listeners to think and become conscious of their own innermost thoughts and imaginings. Just like the title Jetlag suggests, there is a certain fatigue that comes across when listening to the album. Milosh’s sound slows time and a certain mysticism seems to overtake even the most somber of environments. After listening to a few songs on the album, the listener coalesces with their surroundings and with the sounds of the music. The album allows us to relax and drift wherever our subconscious may take us, exploring the perfections and imperfections of our experiences.