Joesef, Permanent Damage | Album Review 💿

Queer Scottish, soul-pop musician Joesef delivers an authentic, emotional, and truly exceptional debut album with Permanent Damage. 

Love can be heavenly.  Love can also be hellish. On his 2023 debut album, 💿 Permanent Damage, queer, soul-pop artist, 🎙 Joesef takes us on a turbulent ride where a previous relationship had memorable and hellish moments. More often than not, the brilliant Scottish musician speaks to the ills of love and how much it can affect and change a person. That makes the album incredibly relatable.  Even with a fair amount of pain and permanent damage, listening to this early release from 2023, it proves to be incredibly rewarding.

“Permanent Damage”

🎵 “Permanent Damage” commences the album with dramatic, moody strings, as well as piano accompaniment.  It sets the tone superbly. Soon enough, Joesef enters the mix, delivering emotional, honest lyrics: “The quiet sound of knowing there is nothing left to say / All the feeling / That takes me back to somewhere I don’t want to be again.” “Permanent Damage” proves to be the perfect preface to, 🤩 🎵 “It’s Been a Little Heavy Lately”.

“You know I’ve been fucked up; crazy / It’s been a little heavy lately / But you’re the only one who could save me.” Joesef lays it out there on this surefire gem from Permanent Damage. He continues singing in the chorus, “Why is it my heart is open / Only when the red light’s glowing? / But I’ll be yours until the morning…” The situation is, Joe is covertly dating this guy who happens to have a girlfriend – scandalous, right? Joe wants exclusivity.  “All I got is you on my mind / I’m coming up easy,” he sings in the first verse, adding, “Don’t care if she sees me / I need you tonight.” Similarly, in the second verse, he’s not too keen on the girlfriend or the situation: “Where’d you go? / Can you feel the drip in the lies?” His biggest statement comes during the bridge, where he encourages his boyfriend to embrace their relationship and cut off his girlfriend. There’s clearly something missing: “I guess it must be hard for a guy to look her in the eye / When it’s me who’s giving you what you need.” He sings exceptionally well, spoiling us with his ripe falsetto.  The production (Joesef and 🎛️ Barney Lister) shines too with its robust bass line, keys, and groove.

Joesef continues an emotional rollercoaster on 🤩 🎵 “East End Coast,” encompassing a tempestuous relationship (his words) and moving from hometown Glasgow to London. The songwriting is honest and incredibly poetic.  “Separately comatose / Smoking green and doing blow,” he sings in the first verse, continuing, “We broke into the stately home / But I wish you would take me home.” Throughout, there is emphasis placed on an unbreakable bond despite the wild relationship, highlighted brilliantly in the second verse (“Kiss me as the casket’s closed”).  Admittedly, the singer is homesick, which he reveals during the bridge, also asserting that he feels “permanently on my own.”

“Just Come Home with Me Tonight” 

If you thought it was heavy before on Permanent Damage, the heaviness continues on 🤩 🎵 “Just Come Home with Me Tonight.”  Matters of the heart continue to plague Joesef who sees his boyfriend with one foot out the door despite pleas for him to stay. “Pieces of my soul / Are burning in my throat,” he sings in the second verse, continuing, “He’s lighting up your phone / You’re here, but you’re already gone.” A damning line.  Even though Joe is “drunk enough to play the game,” he sees the writing on the wall: “I know a kiss won’t make it right / And there’s no future left in sight.” Still, the heart wants what it wants, and he doesn’t want it to end, at least for tonight. This record marks another awesome moment from the album.  The pen remains elite, the chorus tuneful, the vocals expressive and quite radiant, while the production is top-notch.

“The edge of an argument stings on the tip of my tongue (You have something to say?) / Don’t you want me like you used to?” 🤩 🎵 “Borderline” continues to speak to how complicated relationships are. Furthermore, this standout highlights perception, reality, and, per Joesef (via Dork), ‘knowing you’ll never be able to be the version of yourself that someone who otherwise would have been perfect deserves, a right person, wrong time kind of song.’ “‘Cause you were so hard to find,” he sings, adding, “I want you all the time.” Like “Just Come Home with Me Tonight,” he is struggling with this relationship which appears to be running its course. Even though the issues seem plenteous, there is desire for success, despite imperfections, mistakes, and shortcomings. The centerpiece is the absolutely beautiful chorus. “Remember what you love me for / Even when I’m on the floor,” he sings, continuing, “Hope is hard to find / In between the things I’ve said / A version of me in your head / But I could never toe the borderline.” Besides brilliant songwriting and expressive vocals, the production keeps things simple and intimate – perfect for this incredibly reflective, conversational joint.

“Didn’t Know How (to Love You)” 

🎵 “Didn’t Know How (to Love You)” picks up the pace and amplifies the soul factor. The sound palette is picturesque with colorful synths, strings, guitar, robust bass line, and the groove. Joesef impresses with his effortless falsetto and refined mid register.  The chorus is catchy, with Joe receiving support from backing vocals. Another welcome musical touch is the bridge, separating itself harmonically from verses and chorus.  The title of the lyric perfectly captures the theme.  There is no shortage of drama including disengagement, cheating, and apparently, ample confusion. While Joe admits to ineptness regarding how to love him, he also doesn’t know how to leave either.  What a conundrum!

“I kissed you / But you left me in a hotel room / Apartment number twenty-two.” 🤩 🎵 “Apt 22” maintains the soulful vibes established on “Didn’t Know How (to Love You).” The record is anchored by a groove that hails directly from the R&B book. Likewise, Joesef’s vocals are drenched in soul, delivered with ample expression and nuance.  Love remains the driving factor as he recollects a relationship that has went silent: “Sometimes, I still wake up thinking you’re by my side.”

“Both of us got in the shower / You said that that was our thing,” Joesef sings in the first verse of 🤩 🎵 “Shower”. “Sitting down, soaked for an hour / I’m underneath holding your weight,” he adds, before dropping the bomb: “Now I’m standing here alone.”  Despite the great memory Joesef experiences of his ex- showering, the relationship is over.  Furthermore, he is struggling with moving past it on this absolutely stunning ballad.  He is clearly in a bad spot, something he sheds more light about in the second verse, as well as the bridge. “I’ll try not to need you anymore,” he sings in the bridge, continuing, “But when you’re not here, the water’s cold.” Indeed.  “Shower” is authentically and radiantly performed and written, backed by yet another fitting musical accompaniment.

“Joe”

“When I’m alone / I can hear the sound / I just can’t stand the way you said my name.” After eight tracks where permanent damage seems inevitable, why not pile on a little more? On 🤩 🎵 “Joe,” the loneliness continues.  Of the song, he asserts, ‘Lyrically, the songs is about the mundane reminders of the fact that someone isn’t there.’ That is confirmed in the chorus, which emphasizes his name: “I can hear you say it / Joe, Joe, Joe / Don’t you ever leave / … Cause you’re nothing without me /…I can still hear you saying…”

The ‘big mood’ continues in the mostly subtle but potent 🎵 “Blue Car.” Letting go continues to be a tremendous test for Joe. In the chorus, he memorably sings, “Remember when I said I’d die for you the night the sky drained all the blue? / But dying would be easier than ever loving you.”  On 🎵 “Moment” the tempo increases – there’s more grooves fueling the fire.  Still, there’s also the longing to rewind back to the good times, if only for a moment. “Only for a moment, moment, take me some place where you’ll never slip away,” he sings on the memorable, escapist chorus.

“Last Orders”

“I planted flowers with the promises I made in my head / …They didn’t live long in your forest fire, that’s what you’ve got left.” Woo, that is a mic drop moment to say the least! Soulful pop returns in all its glory on the penultimate record, 🎵 “Last Orders.” As the placement of this track on the track list suggests, Joe is closing a chapter after toying with it throughout the album. “‘Last orders’ rings through the bar, but you’re still waiting on me,” he sings in the first verse, adding, “I know you would risk it all the second that you saw me come in.” Of course, in this case, Joe is “Still walking away.”

🎵 “All Good” concludes Permanent Damage marvelously.  The vintage music cues are celestial: the strings, the busy, dusty groove, and that incredible bass line.  How about those tinkling piano keys? A vibe! Furthermore, Joesef sounds angelic, particularly when he dips into that effortless falsetto.  This feels like the proper resolution after a truly turbulent relationship, as well as an album that successfully put the listeners into Joe’s shoes.

Final Thoughts 💭 

So, how does 💿 Permanent Damage, the debut album by Joesef stack up? It is a well-rounded LP from start to finish. The songwriting is exceptional – authentic, incredibly personal, and relatable.  The production is sensation too, incorporating elements of pop and soul with rich palettes to work with.  And, most of all, Joesef is a brilliant vocalist – his tone and versatility are awe-inspiring.  At 13 tracks, running  nearly 46 minutes, there’s lots to heart about Permanent Damage. It is a great musical start to 2023.

🤩 Gems 💎: “It’s Been a Little Heavy Lately,” “East End Coast,” “Just Come Home with Me Tonight,” “Borderline,” “Apt 22,” “Shower” & “Joe”  

🎙 Joesef • 💿 Permanent Damage • 🏷 Bold Cut / AWAL Recordings Ltd • 🗓 1.13.23

[📷: Bold Cut / AWAL Recordings Ltd]