Independent Artist, 2woAM, Releases Full Moon

Shortly after midnight on January 18, 2022, a familiar notification blinked on my phone screen. It was an Instagram DM. It was my favorite type of message; a link to a newly released album. Because my friends are so incredibly dope, it isn't rare that a new song, track, beat, or project comes my way in the late hours, but this one was a surprise. I opened the link, added the project to my New New 2022 playlist, and immediately caught a vibe. The project, Full Moon from 2woAM, is a slow ride, and I know anyone who trusts my curation will fall in love with this one.

2woAM is a Georgia-born, Atlanta-raised, self-proclaimed rockstar exploring new sound through Full Moon. With over a decade of music-making in his pocket, 2woAM brings sage musical experiences to his sound while throwing a special spark on trying new things. When asked about the inspiration for Full Moon, 2woAM shared a litany of life experiences from the last year that contributed to the project. 2woAM explains that experiencing nightlife for the first time, navigating challenging relationships, and forming new friendships in 2021 opened him up to be more vulnerable as an artist through expression in his music. You'll also note some subliminal spiritual messages throughout the album, a testament to that vulnerability. Melding together the sounds of Atlanta with his style, 2woAM brings an easily relatable package to this project while maintaining his identity as an artist.

When researching the album, I was astonished that the release date of 'Full Moon' cleverly and intentionally aligned with the January 2022 full moon in Cancer. While you may or may not believe in the effect of lunar activity on human behavior, the synchronicity with the full moon, project name, and soothing emotional eclectic feeling of the album immediately diverted my attention and ears. When asked to describe his sound, particularly on this project, 2woAM explained, "As far as this project, I feel like it's more pop, R&B, rap, trap - if that makes sense. [It's] eccentric fun and just something different from what I normally would make." Typically sticking to the rock sound and lane, 2woAM strolled into a little bit of the EDM/house realm with Full Moon, explaining, "I tried house for the first time, well my version of what a 2woAM house song would sound like."

Overall, Full Moon is a quick listen, with the album coming in just under 22 minutes and each of the tracks coming in around 3 minutes in length. You'll hear consistent themes with tuned-up vocals approaching an alien tone that I assume is intentional, lyrics on relationships among other seemingly universal messages, and track titles in the same vein of the lunar concept. I rarely get geeked out about fine details on an album, but few artists in my direct network have exhibited such high levels of intentionality as what I have seen with 2woAM and Full Moon.

For areas for improvement, I only have a couple notes. I'd mention the short song length - although younger generation listeners will likely disagree here. Outside of that, some listeners may find a few flows through the project to be unconventional, weaving in and out of the beat and then reconnecting in ways that made you forget you were ever lost.

Bass-heavy and melodic, 'REAL' is a calming yet energetic opener to the album with a perfect balance of soothing trance vibes paired with trap rhythms. It is a standout and quickly became my favorite from the collection. 'WTM' comes in as a close second, with a catchy hook and tranquil waves of layered sound. Listeners will enjoy unexpected sounds hidden in melodic raps, genres colliding, and an overall energy that borders on lo-fi chill while keeping you wide awake staring at the damn moon.

If you haven't yet, listen to Full Moon here! Like I always say, be good, and if you can't be good, take pictures! 💋