Guess Pre's "Clarity" Is Both Thoughtful and Performative

Composed of nine tracks of absolute wonder, “Clarity” is groovy, upbeat, yet raw and intimate at the same time – in other words, it provides clarity, an expression and a glimpse of Guess Pre’s mind divided in a handful of songs.

To say this album is a ‘deep dive’ would be an understatement, as vulnerability may seem like it’s barely peeking through the cracks, when in reality it’s been there this whole time. This is the type of music where how it sounds contrasts what it means greatly.

But, it doesn’t stay in that sense all the time – songs like “I’m not Peter Pan, you are”, which provides imagery (in a way) especially throughout the chorus, and “A Jedi Song (Take a Mile)” that has intense musical elements i.e. the bass and the vocal harmonies, take those distinguished references of fiction in a different, hip-hop-y way.

“Aardvark” starts off ominous, containing dialogue from a voice resembling a child’s, which would then seem to imply that the track is about healing that child within, with the mention of missing and/or losing friends, and probably himself in the process. The line “I hope that I will feel okay” is often repeated, and it eventually transitions into the next song, “Night Shift”. The layers of vocals in this one carry out an echo, and one prominent lyric that stands out would be “Take my life, I had to get it right quick”, which would refer to taking a night shift as the first step to fixing and turning his life back around.

It’s outstanding how the emotion just flows all throughout, differing in intensity, expression, and likeness. “Bittersweet” would make Guess Pre seem like he’s dissing someone, with the burns going on and on after every burn, realization after realization of his worth (“One of us has gotta go / Better you than me / I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be”). But “Clarity”, the title track, would feel far off.

Speaking of which, “Clarity” is a fifty-fifty ratio of dialogue and song, which is really intriguing. The dialogue mainly consists of a talk about consciousness, debating on its significance, and the concept as a whole. It even contemplates another being’s conscience, take a rat’s, or if some higher, transcendental being is somewhere out there that would render our own consciousness meaningless. The song then goes on to sing “Losing consciousness / Is this how fast I breathe? / You never see it’s actually clarity”.

“WinterRain (Hang Around)”, a track about a racing mind, narrating how hard it is not to succumb to its deep dark depths, with a mix of self-doubt. It never fails to still hit despite the realness of the topic, the chorus still ending up catchy; it’s a fun track, if we’re being honest. The harmonies all around are great, and lines such as “It’s hard to believe that I made it this far” and “Something’s telling me that I should hang around” hits close to home.

A similar themed track would be “High Drama”, starting off with piano and vocalizing; it seems like a love song at first, but you’d be proven wrong right away. It’s seemingly about the consequences of the actions taken during lowest points, with the hook being “We gon’ get locked up for the summer”. Honestly, the whole song sounds high itself, kudos to the vibe directly placed into the layers and arrangements. There’s randomness in the words, but it remains coherent and in line, like he’s under the influence, but he can still tell what’s actually on his mind.

To wrap everything up, “Earlie Goodbye” sounds like it’s intended to end the album with a bang. It has this futuristic energy, with the beat and synth hitting really well. It’s the type of song to be played at the peak of the party when everything’s cranked up to a hundred. The line of partying until sunlight and “Started seeing all my friends on early goodbyes” is actually devastating, a point masked underneath all the hyperactiveness of the track itself.

Overall, with the whole thing sounding personal yet maintaining to be fun despite the big variety in themes, it’s a great album. It’s not everyday you get to hear deep reflections on life’s meaning and something about getting high and claiming that he “hasn’t seen her in a while” all in one record. It’s a rollercoaster ride, one that you’d want to hop into more than once.