“Soul,PRESENT”, an Album by Q
9.2 / 10
“You haven’t been alone since the beginning of time.”
Originally published May 17th, 2023
You know how they say certain things in life will chew you up and spit you out? Big cities, complicated jobs, demanding partners, etc. Well, the beginning of Soul,PRESENT finds Q between the back molars of his own mind. As “WELCOME TO SOUL,PRESENT” begins, overlapping whispers grow louder and louder while the beat itself picks up speed until it can be assumed that Q is in an all out sprint from his very vocal thoughts. He details his fears for the future as well as his confusion about the life he’s currently living all while pushing towards this idea of just being in the present moment. However, this comforting thought is futile as his voice is inevitably drowned out by the whispers of his own worries and questions.
This concept of wondering whether or not you’re on the right path in life follows Q across all ten tracks. He navigates the whispers and societal pressures that seem to have laid out a specific life plan for him, as well as the feelings he’s kept locked inside. It’s a cacophony of synths, drum beats, and vocals inside his own head. At some point he starts to wonder why he’s suffering so much for the vague future and not just living for today, as “tomorrow’s not in every situation.” This notion of the present eventually leads to Q overthrowing his worries of what others think of him and reaching out to those who feel the same sense of being overly conscious.
Having produced and written all the music himself, it’s clear that Q Marsden has a story and he’s not afraid of using every possible corner of a song to tell it. Where older projects of his leaned more acoustic, heavy with melancholy lyrics and vocals to match, Soul,PRESENT is so precisely different that it feels as though he’s been experimenting with its sound since the 80s. He’s mastered the ability to project his words not only with his voice but also in the way he brings in instruments and the subtle changes in musical connotation from song to song.
As I mentioned, “WELCOME TO SOUL,PRESENT” starts out with a rumbling of whispers all layered on top of one another. Throughout the track, these whispers get louder and softer, engulfing Q and retreating until their final return to cover up the protagonist’s words in the final seconds of the intro. These layered voices trail Q as he tries to process how he wants to live his own life, observers in every choice he makes. In “THE HIDE” where the Florida artist discusses the urge to truly express himself and the refusal to hide from those who may judge, they gather together to scream in harmony not to hide despite his fear. Then, in both “UNDERSTAND” and “LUV”, the voices harmonize and accompany Q’s lead as he comes to terms with the world and his own cravings/actions. The utilization of these layers comes to a head in the final song, “PRESENCE”. Returning to their frantic, anxiety inducing state from the intro track, it feels as though the song is going to narrate the artist’s descent back into fear. However, at the height of the voices’ volume, Q asserts his control and confidence as his verse completely cuts off the thoughts instead of riding over them.
The complete absence of said whispers has a completely different effect in what is my personal favorite song from the album. Production wise, the first two minutes of “TODAY” are sparse. A synth hums softly in the background while simple keys quietly follow the protagonist’s words of loneliness and isolation. The near silence emphasizes Q’s despair at the supposedly reassuring thought that someday things will be alright or someday he’ll understand. The uncertainty of the future and when things will happen has held him back from so much life experience, and he’s had to come to terms with that truth throughout the course of the album. And while the last few songs depicted a man more comfortable in his being, it isn’t until the drums punch life into the second half of “TODAY” that Q lets all of his emotions rise to the surface. He acknowledges the pain he’s lived through while also manifesting a future that coincides with the present.
By the time Q breathes a sigh of relief in the first few seconds of outro, “PRESENCE”, the worries of what’s ahead are behind us and our souls are officially living for today. One by one Q brings in each piece of the song; first the drums, then the bass, keys, synths, vocals. Everything is now completely under his control. No more running towards the future, he’s building his way forward now. His final message here is one of reassurance as he reaches out to those feeling the same pressures he started the album with, encouraging them not to run from their experiences today in fear that they must get somewhere in the future.
It’s a brilliant message that isn’t often the subject of modern music. Societal expectations and standards have everyone working themselves into the dirt trying to achieve a future that may make them happier despite that future not even being guaranteed. In the meantime, while chasing happiness, many people find themselves at their lowest lows and missing the community that wants to be there for them now.
Q wants to be that community for you. He wants you to understand that he gets what it’s like to want to hide how you really feel, who you really are, from the world for fear of judgment. He gets that you’re holding out for a better future, he’s been there too. But what he doesn’t understand is why you aren’t acknowledging that the present day holds more opportunity than any future ever could as it’s happening right now and you know it. This album is reassurance. If you take a moment to take in the day as it is, for what it is, you may find that the voices are singing in harmony with you, not at you.
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