Wessmode makes music for those on the outside, the black sheep of the family, and people who typically do not fit in. The tracks are confessions that reflect upon his mind’s inner workings. Heavy topics get brought into the fray, from failed relationships to substance abuse. Everything here is vivid—many layers of his trip through life filter into the sound. Production values go for the clean, crisp, and concise. By keeping the whole thing to a minimum, every gesture produces much more impact. His words, already quite revelatory, feel doubly so with a sound that stuns the senses.
The social aspect of his approach recalls Kendrick Lamar’s output. Much of the style has that same muscle to it, blurring the lines between his own experience and the experience of millions of people. With the rather detailed exploration of his battles with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more, Wessmode has a Mac Miller spirit. Wessmode has no problem getting vulnerable with his audience. Instead, how he can draw those lost souls into his soundscape feels righteous. Part of this speaks to his own experience, which involved going to group therapy for sharing. A lot of this feels like living inside Wessmode’s head, yet it also speaks to the universalism of his message, one with such an uncanny sense of self.
A musician for the outcasts, Wessmode treats the troubled with kindness and compassion in his thoughtful discography.