Overgrow – “The Name We Share”

For as long as I can remember, music has been my main coping skill. While I have also written in a journal since I was 12, music has been that one constant. No matter the feeling, music is there. With most milestones in my life, you can ask what band or artist I was listening to at the time, and I can tell you. With a few, I know the song even. Music is as a part of me as friends. I don’t think I can live without it, and I don’t think I would ever want to. What kind of world would that be? Could you imagine that? I know I couldn’t.

Much like an author writes about what they know, a songwriter does the same. And that’s part of why I enjoy music the way I do. There are some musicians in this world that are just amazing with words. And there are some that write what’s on their mind and in their heart. If a songwriter has both of those, man, you may want to watch out. I’m not saying it’s rare, because it’s not by any means, but it’s those that truly hit home and make a difference. They have a unique way of reaching the masses, and boy when they do it’s beautiful.

Jake Ciccotelli has been making music for a few years now. Be it Consequences, Everyone Leaves, or his latest project, Overgrow. So this is nothing new to him. But what is new is the way Overgrow has been accepted. In the last year I have seen two days were my social media was nothing but Overgrow. One, the day he announced he had signed to Common Ground Records and they were re-releasing his first EP and two, when the first single released, The Name We Share. Why did this happen? Well, besides the fact that he makes good music—really good music—it has to do with the two points I mentioned above. I can’t tell you the times I have listened to his first release and just cried. The raw emotion and realness are uncanny. Well if you thought it would end with that album, you are wrong my friend. The Name We Share picks up where The House You Made left off.

The first track is 1 minute and 19 seconds long, but don’t think it still doesn’t hit the mark. As far as opening tracks go, this one is great, as it sets the mood for the album. If you have listened to the first release, then you know what it is about, and like I said above, this release picks up were that one left off, and this song grabs you by the hand and leads you into the soul and heart of Jake Ciccotelli. Next up is “Twelve Eighty-Nine.” The first thing I noticed about this track is it’s a bit heavier than anything we heard last year. But not heavy, heavy, just heavier than what we have heard from Overgrow but it’s still very much Overgrow. It’s just another element, another layer. The next song “To You & Sober Truths” continues to take us deeper into the heart of Jake C. as he dives deeper into what life is like with his father. The words he chooses and how they are arranged makes the song that much more meaningful and honest. Another aspect that sticks out about this one is the vocals. I feel this track really displays Jake as a strong vocalist and what we can maybe expect in the future. “The Earth Will Swallow Me Whole” is one of the best songs I’ve heard in 2019 so far. The first time I heard it, I had to stop what I was doing in order to take it all in. I can honestly say I was not ready for what was to come. Everything about this is epic. His backing band kills it here, not that they don’t on any other track—because they do—but there is something about this one that sticks out. I had to listen to this song 5 times before I couldn’t anymore, and by the time I was done I was a mess. I just had to sit down and process what I had just experienced. I can’t wait to hear this one live, but I honestly don’t know if I can handle it. The delivery from start to finish is transcendent. There is no holding back of anything here. They left everything on the table, and I love it. I also really like how this is the third song that “the name we share” is mentioned. For me it’s a little reminder of where I come from and who I am. So it stuck out to me. “A Spot on the Wall” is a solid closing song. It feels like a good place to end the album. After going through the stages of grief as one does, this song seems like acceptance. I very well could be wrong. But he mentions going through his things and such and how one day he will be better. And this one is a little bit more upbeat than the others.

Overall, this is a very solid release. From start to finish it keeps the listener’s attention. In a way, it feels like a concept album about the stages of grief, and each song is about a stage, maybe? Dunno. But regardless, this album needs to be heard. This album is something great, and I feel it can and will help a lot that are going through things in their own lives. So thank you Overgrow for making such a powerful record.

Follow Overgrow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

-Ray Cobra

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