Hyacinth | 3 or 4 BOPS

On the 4^th edition of 3 or 4 BOPS (2022), we select awesome songs that are associated with the HYACINTH in some form or fashion.

A

h, sometimes it’s better to keep things lite on the fat and calories ! That’s the goal of the miniature playlists gracing The Musical Hype.  On 3 or 4 BOPS, we select a topic or theme, choose three or four relevant songs, and provide a lit , electrifying blurb.  3 or 4 BOPS shouldn’t take too much time to consume – typically 5 minutes or less! On the 4^th edition of 3 or 4 BOPS, we select awesome songs that are associated with the HYACINTH in some form or fashion.  Without further ado, let the BOPS begin!

---

1. serpentwithfeet, “Hyacinth”

DEACON • Secretly Canadian • 2021

serpentwithfeet (Josiah Wise) brings his own distinct style to his music – sort of an alternative/experimental brand of R&B with electronic cues.  Honestly, you must hear it to experience the eclecticism Wise brings to the table.  He commences his second studio album, DEACON, with the perfect floral record, “Hyacinth.”

From the onset, serpentwithfeet distinguishes himself from everybody else in the game.  “Hyacinth” is lush with ear catching production by Wise, Justus West, and Batu. Simultaneously, it sounds a bit unorthodox, at least upon a first listen.  We get vocals sung with restraint at some points, as well as vocals that are rhythmic and drenched in effects, making for a unique sound and vibe.  In the process, Wise tackles a very familiar, almost always successful theme for a song: romance.  He asserts, “I think my green thumb has led me to a real one / So glad the soil has yielded something more than bad luck.” That’s gorgeous, and that’s merely the first two lines of the first verse.  He gets more specific about this awesome guy stating on the second verse, “He never played football / But look at the way he holds me.” Say that, say that! Of course, the crowning achievement is the chorus:

“Don’t tell me the universe ain’t listening

I went to bed single now I’m kissing

A man that was once a hyacinth

A man that was once a hyacinth.”

Serpentwithfeet = one talented, talented musician.

Appears in :
An Engaging, Unorthodox Soundtrack to Spring

---

2. Krosis, “Hyacinth (Rejections of a Holistic Divine)”

E.V.I.L. • Seek & Strike • 2022 

“One lone purple hyacinth now signifies my consecration / A nihilistic error breathing in the smoke of failure.” “Hyacinth (Rejections of a Holistic Divine)” is something else! “Everlasting sorrow with no hope for a tomorrow / I’ll leave this macrocosm once I’m sure no life will blossom.” This outlandish record appears as the fifth track on E.V.I.L., the 2022 studio album by North Carolina prog death metal band, Krosis. Vocalist Mac Smith is difficult to decipher without the lyrics in front of you. With those lyrics to reference, what he sings is, again, something else!

“Tragedy is upon us / What will be done to persecute these visions? / Sinister and pernicious / Rightful rejections of the god of wisdom.” The lyrics are dark but poetically penned on “Hyacinth (Rejections of a Holistic Divine).” The excerpt is both thought-provoking and damning. It doesn’t end there, with plenty of rich vocabulary such as sacrosanctic, cataleptic, and a personal favorite, nefarious!

“Caught within the fires of frustration with no chance to rebuild

Brutal rejection of sacrosanctic values ever unfulfilled

Premonitions felt among us

What is done to persecute these visions?

Cataleptic and nefarious

Brutal rejection of sacrosanctic values ever unfulfilled.” 

“Hyacinth (Rejections of a Holistic Divine)” is intriguing, no cap. The songwriting may be dark and negative, but it’s brilliant.  The music, as to be expected, is harsh – heavy-hitting to say the least.

Appears in :
Krosis, “Hyacinth (Rejections of a Holistic Divine)”: Outlandish Rock No. 4 (2022)

---

3. The Doors, “Hyacinth House”

L.A. Woman • Rhino • 1971

“What are they doing in the Hyacinth House? / To please the lions, yeah / This day.”  Say what Jim Morrison?  The floral song at hand, “Hyacinth House” ,appears on The Doors’ iconic 1971 album, L.A. Woman. From a musical perspective, it’s ear-catching! Ray Manzarek kills it on the organ, giving The Doors that utterly distinct sound.  Furthermore, the listener’s ears are blessed with bluesy guitar ( Robby Krieger), robust, present bass line ( Jerry Scheff), and a superb drum groove ( John Densmore).  Perhaps the biggest talking point regarding “Hyacinth House” is frontman Morrison, who died only months after L.A. Woman was released at the age of 27.

Honestly, Morrison sounds a bit, um, un-energetic here to say the least.  That said, I believe his low-energy performance is intentional, reflecting the negative connotation of the lyrics.  If you think about it from that perspective, his performance is, dare I say, brilliant.  Morrison is only moderately aroused throughout, getting a lift from backing vocals and occasionally upping the ante.  His lyrics may be more interesting than his pipes, subject to various interpretations.  A classic that has been analyzed extensively, “Hyacinth House” seems to reference everything from Hyacinthus (Greek mythology), a person literally walking out of the bathroom, the plight of fame, and perhaps most notably, Morrison’s own depression.  A flowery number it is, “Hyacinth House” seems to show Jim in decline.

Appears in :
The Doors, “Hyacinth House”: Throwback Vibez No. 12 (2022)

---

Hyacinth: 3 or 4 BOPS No. 4 (2022) [: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Rhino, Secretly Canadian, Seek & Strike, Wilson Blanco from Pixabay]

---