Knife is But a Dream caught my attention with its rhythmic name. I assumed from there that it would be a project with thought-provoking themes or a dynamic unexpected sound. Like people judge books by their covers, I have the same things for album or song titles. Knife is But A Dream is a 15-track album by San Francisco based artist Tony Jay, who composed and recorded this album entirely within the confines of his home during a delicate time with his beloved 14 year old cat. The artist describes the album as a whisper of quiet companionship with threads of the poignant narrative of a man grappling with the mortality of his feline companion. Starting this project, I was not disappointed to say the least.
‘Ancient Slice’ is a thunderous opening and I am kind of glad my headphones were not on at the moment or I would have been spooked. Through my laptop speakers, however, I could feel the bass of the instrument followed by indiscernible chatter and a string instrument which I hope is a violin. The sound of the track is what I can best describe as nightmare-ish but all in all is very surreal. It is the sort of song you hear in a horror or thriller movie when a character realizes something tragic. “Something Kind” is the first time we hear vocals accompanied by the slow strumming of a guitar and a soothing sound of waves. The slowness of the song adds to its rawness and gives it a gloomy but comforting atmosphere. I felt a sense of tranquil wash over me while listening. ‘Cool Beat’ is exactly what the title is but in the same way as the first track it is very absorbing but distorted. It is a stark contrast to the titular track which returns to the acoustic sound of the second track, only this time, the repeated lyrics of ‘knife is but a dream to me’ adds some melody.
Sensing a pattern here, I broke out of listening to the album cohesively and randomly selected another song which sounded similar to slower songs with vocals added, then followed by an instrumental. I loved this element of the album and quickly returned to ‘Doubtfully Yours’ which is undoubtedly a favourite track of mine, followed closely by the “Softest Spring”. The songs feel very cinematic- not in the sense that they are dramatic powerhouse songs that boom but that they fit into a movie. It is a misuse of the word but it should be allowed for this description because the songs provided me with a lot of comfort and nostalgia.
The beauty and power in this project lies in its production and choice of instrumentation. There is so much texture to it even when Jay switches over to vocals. The various emotions he carries are not only in the soft -sung lyrics but in the rough edges of the beats. The mixed feelings of sadness, existentialism and hope all feel tangible. The songs that were only beats were my favourites and I would be interested to see Jay release a project of purely instrumentals. Whether he chooses to branch out of the sound and dabble in other genres or stick in this lane is something worth looking out for regardless.
Written by Nthatile Mavuso
