At one point during the album Moments Like These, Joey Aich muses to himself that he’s just a middle class American looking to “elevate the culture.” This moment, (pun intended), perhaps more than any other than the record, encapsulates his mindset. He wants to impact the world with his art. Because its a calling. it’s not a result of some inflated ego.

Joey has been taking the time to elevate the culture of Columbus, Ohio and beyond for over a decade now. I was introduced to him as a member of the Carried By Six collective that was spearheaded by fellow hip hop artist Sarob. In my cursory early interactions with Joey, I was struck by his earnestness. This impression has carried over into his albums and has been consistent over the years.

Another thing that has been consistent for me is Joey’s sound. On a surface level, Moments Like These is a hip hop record with beats that are bordering on lofi in feel, yet paradoxically translate to a high energy live performance. It’s a juxtaposition that would be challenging for anyone to pull off, but on this album he excels at it. If Open Treehouse was a crash course in all things Joey Aich, Moments Like These is the mission statement; his mantra that his fans present and future will look at as essential listening. Joey also proves himself a master of a strong hook. Some are more impactful for me than others – my personal favorites are the title track, the lush “After Love” and and the catchy “How Many?”

A highlight of the album is “Grind” which has some of the most cinematic moments we’ve heard from Joey yet. There’s some clever wordplay here – talking about wanting to earn his flowers, but for now being a chef that needs flour. Blueprint lands a feature on this track that seems to almost mentor Joey – offering a perspective from a local colleague who’s played the game even longer and knows the ups and downs. The entirety of the album is autobiographical, but this song is particularly striking to me.

Another highlight of the record arrives in the nearly six and half minute long “Footprints,” The poignant hook mentions leaving footprints that won’t fade – a clear question about Joey’s legacy. The song also seems to function as a sort of invitation to the listener to take a hard look at their own legacy. Will your footprints in the sand fade when the waves wash over them? Plus, saxophone makes everything better. Well, just about everything – but this song is the rule, not the exception.

Joey Aich is poised to continue in his glow up with the release of Moments Like These. Hopefully there are many more “Moments” in this artist’s career to come. There’s no reason to believe otherwise at this point.

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