Gwai Mak isn’t lacking for confidence. On what is essentially his debut EP, But, Standing., the singer and producer strides forward with determination and conviction. That’s not to say there aren’t any missteps on the record, but for an emerging artist seeking to step out from the shadows, Gwai Mak operates with a defined sense of purpose and self, that ubiquitous black mask be damned.
On the surface, But, Standing. is a collection of songs about love, but more implicitly it’s a record about the way we measure personal growth and agency through our relationships. Rarely are his characters portrayed to be in the throes of passion; rather they’re caught up in varying points of transformation, constantly sorting through their doubts and anxieties.
One of the standout tracks from the EP, “Hermit” is an atmospheric meditation on isolation and how fear of commitment and the outside world can lead to emotional desolation and abandoning those we seek to love. “I feel that I’m losing at life / But tell me what you doing / I wanna know what life is like outside these walls / Tell me that I ain’t missing shit,” he croons, indicating a level of self-awareness that can only serve to make his depression more acute.
Directed by Kamryn Harris, the video paints a somewhat more upbeat portrait with Gwai Mak emerging from a downtown high-rise to walk around the city accompanied by a photographer. With the exception of the couple, everything from the people on the sidewalks to the traffic on the streets moves in reverse, a possible metaphor for just how out of step the artist has grown with the world around him. His smiling companion, however, as well as a bit of dancing in front of the High Museum, let the viewer know that it’s not all darkness and dread, and that hope remains for those willing to step out into the light.
Watch/listen above.
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