Tirzah’s Devotion

Disclaimer: This is the first time I’ve written about music in almost ten years. Admitting this, and the fact that my close friend discovered the album and he’s also a better writer than me probably makes me appear even less qualified. But since you’re stuck with me, here’s my review of Tirzah’s Devotion.

I was immediately in like with this album, keeping it casual, but before I knew it--I had fallen in love. Conveniently, Love and its complexities are the dominant theme of the album.

Tirzah’s Devotion has a strange ability (much like Frank Ocean’s whole discography) to tackle all of the messiness that comes with romance in a groovy but insightful and emotional way.

The album starts with beautiful piano arpeggios that fit within the world R&B, but are quite Classical in their delivery. Her lyrics, “I’ll make you fine, again” repeat.

It is such a simple statement, I’ll make you fine, again. But its meaning is not as clear as it seems on the surface. Is she simply singing about looks (an oft-used topic in R&B)? Possibly. But as the album goes on, the word “fine” from the intro becomes more ambiguous to me. Fine is also a word that’s used to mean “okay” or “content.” 

Dear readers, you should know that I am recently engaged and my fiancé is expecting our first child together. You should also know that we are already raising her eleven year-old daughter. In my life I spent some time having played around with drugs and caused myself plenty of trouble. So, when I think about “fine”, it is a state of being for which I deeply long, and when I think about my partner and our future as a family, it actually provides me peace of mind. 

In my previous experiences, love typically does not start out as fine. Fresh (or young) love, needs to be romantic. It often needs to be messy, which, as it develops, tends to become problematic. Eventually, truer loves learn to live with and control that chaos. They settle down--then flair back up--then maybe settle in happier, or maybe dissolve.

That evolution and messiness, the wild trip of love, is what Tirzah tackles on this album. The songs don’t flow into a linear concept. Some songs are about having a deep, innate desire for another person. Soul on soul. Other songs coldly glorify liberation, independence and self-love in spite of companionship, others still, linger on past relationships. Ultimately, she explores how much relationships are actually a balance of each partners’ selfishness. Notably, a theme that emerges through her work is that love is a largely selfish endeavor, which is why it often doesn’t last. Only when two partners’ selfish desires miraculously align does love thrive. Tirzah’s lyrics envision many different romantic circumstances, but her tone and temperament are what set them apart. She moves quickly from loyalty to dismissal, from optimism to pessimism.

I have a history of turbulent relationships, partly my fault no doubt, and partly for my spicy taste in partners. Even my current relationship, which is now thriving, was once full of insanity. Extreme highs and lows. Fighting and passionate reconciling. Infidelity early on, from me and her. We weren’t sure that our relationship was going to be long-lasting when we first met, so we didn’t exactly tend to each other’s needs. But---and this is important--I was highly attracted to her the first time I saw her. She came into the cigar bar I managed and ordered a hot chocolate for her daughter. She did this from time to time, and the more frequently she did, the more I couldn’t get her out of my head. There was something intangible about her that I could not ignore.

I made the mistake of courting her while I was in a relationship with someone else. Bad move. (Trust doesn’t grow easily from a relationship born out of dishonesty.)

Still, we kept in touch. My prior relationship ended, which was truly for the best. Over time we became increasingly close. We had (and still have) similar worldviews. That means a lot to both of us, that ability to look at things through similar lenses. And despite the aforementioned turbulence, she and I have always been drawn to each other, like a magnetic storm unable to escape each other’s pull.

But things were not easy. I walked into a de facto step-parenting situation. Something completely new for me. Her daughter, while wonderful, is quite the handful (much like her mother). And I’ll never be her daughter’s real father, no matter what I do. I had to learn to accept that. And I have. And her daughter has (hopefully) learned to accept that I’m only in her life with the best of intentions.

Slow growth is what has been key to the success of my relationship with my fiance. No two people have identical journeys and no two people have identical visions of their futures. However, two brains are (according to my math) more than one. And two brains can create a vision that neither could independently. 

The album is titled Devotion, and devotion is the reason that my lady and I are still together. There were many moments where it seemed like we were doomed to separate. In fact, it’s a miracle that we haven’t. It was only when we both realized what we wanted from each other did we become our version of... fine. 

Backstory: I received some weed Skittles at a New Year’s party shortly before my music-loving comrade recommended the album. One relaxed evening, I proceeded to eat a few, lay in my bed and listen to Devotion. If you can’t tell by now, I was moved. In the weeks since, I’ve listened to the album once a day, sometimes more.

Repetition is key to the production. The whole album is hypnotic, especially if you put yourself in the mood. Could be a weed Skittle, could be a glass of wine, could be a bubble bath. The beats are sparse and seem uncomplicated. (Literally, the song “Affection” consists of Tirzah’s vocals and one singular piano chord that echoes on repeat.) But the mood is distinct.

Sure, Tirzah’s style is reminiscent of other artists, but it doesn’t ever feel like it’s unoriginal. Her voice reminds me of Ella Mai. But her mood reminds me of Frank Ocean. Even Radiohead. A non-exhaustive list of related artists might be: Rhye, Charlie XCX, The Weeknd, Sade, Lauryn Hill, Portishead, et cetera. If that doesn’t intrigue you then I don’t know what will.

Tirzah’s music doesn’t really sound like any of those artists, however. There are a few moments with autotuned vocals, like Charli. There are simple but layered love songs like Rhye. There are soulful ballads and trap-tinged R&B beats. But Tirzah’s Devotion is its own thing, with its own sound. If you’ve ever been in love (real love) you probably know that love is not simple or easy. Devotion does a wonderful job of depicting love and its complication. So… it is my recommendation that you grab a bottle of wine, pick your best speakers and give this album a try.

P.S. I’d pair the Devotion with a Washington Syrah. Cheers!