Unessential Oils is the search for something authentic. Bits and pieces of Warren Spicer’s life – traumas and weaknesses, successes and breakthroughs, moments of clarity and enlightenment mixed with the mundane and menial. The weight of grief and anger imposed on the joy and ecstatic freedom of new life. “I wanted to expose truths and realities inside myself, and not create illusions and beautiful places in which to hide and conceal myself. It’s the opposite of escapism, it’s about the feeling of home and safety and welcoming people into my world,” explains Warren. The result is an album that is somewhat like a jazz record in that it focuses on the musicians’ performances. Many of the songs are quite minimal in terms of songwriting, but the execution and the musicianship are at the heart of this album; they are adventurous with room for embellishment and improvisation. “I made the record in a way where I was pursuing the sounds and voices of people I wanted and loved. I tried to make them sound even more Iike themselves, I wanted their instincts, I wanted what they sounded like when they weren’t being recorded. I wanted joy and warmth while we worked. I cooked a lot during the sessions, and we lived well. We became a family. The atmosphere was laid back and exciting.” The microphones were turned up loud and everyone played quietly, complementing Warren’s vocals, which are more conversational in terms of range and volume, almost under-sung. The four backup singers are singing in unison – a hat tip to the backing-vocal style in Brazilian Tropicalía records – gently enveloping the lead vocals.
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