Music Review: Sebastian O – ‘In Your Room’

Music without filters is an apt description of Sebastian O and the music on his new album, In Your Room.

The Italian singer-songwriter explains his music, saying, “The core of my method derives from the consciousness of the transitory essence of the self, which is nothing but a collection of living moments which shapes different subjectivities in time.” “My desire to express the true present-self brought me to completely remove any post-editing of lyrics and music from my composing process. Such edits would come not as a stream of consciousness but as a second thought over the composition, which would distort the original expression of the self.”

In other words, Sebastian O composes music with a method James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and Marcel Proust applied in literature – stream of consciousness, a continuous uninterrupted flow. And he does no editing after the fact. Indeed, he doesn’t memorize the lyrics. He simply reads and sings them as the song is recorded, devoid of any prior interpretation, rehearsal, or vocal control.

The results of this unique and innovative technique are raw, to say the least, and less than enchanting. The tunes drag, plagued by quavering sounds, a paucity of melodic flow, and Mr. O’s wobbly voice.

In Your Room comprises 11 tracks, each worse than the previous one. The melodies come across as atrociously amateurish, lethargic, and monotonous, barren of rhythm, as if written by a child and performed by novice musicians after three lessons.

The best song on the album, and “best” is a little extreme here, is probably his cover of The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” which defines how I felt listening to it. It opens with a dark guitar and Mr. O’s murmuring voice, singing softly. It increases in volume and intensity but otherwise doesn’t change much.

Sebastian O should be applauded for having the nerve to even attempt such a musical undertaking. That being said, In Your Room broadcasts in dogmatic terms the necessity for filters, editing, and rehearsals.

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