Luke De-Sciscio - Theo Review / October 10, 2024 / by Joe Denton / original
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One of the coolest things about running a music blog like this is the amount of exposure I get to cool up-and-coming artists who find my website because they love music as much as I do. I have come into contact with and found so many cool artists just from referrals and word of mouth due to the reach of East Side Vibes. One artist who I found recently in this manner is Luke De-Sciscio. He is a rising Folk artist with a very immersive and personal sound and style. Luke De-Sciscio makes music that tugs at the heartstrings; one can feel the passion in everything he makes. There is something about his music that feels so personal. From the way it is recorded to the way it is written and performed, Luke De-Sciscio’s music feels very raw and genuine. Luke De-Sciscio is definitely one of the hardest-working Folk artists out there right now. Over the years, he has been very prolific in his output. Luke’s first releases on Spotify date back to 2014, beginning with the album Rust. Over the years, he has dropped 18 albums, including 4 in 2023 and 2 so far in 2024. He has also put out a few EPs over the years, as well as some singles. One could argue Luke De-Sciscio’s most prominent release to this point was his 2019 album Good Bye Folk Boy. This album helped put him on the map as an interesting Folk artist on the rise, and contained his biggest track to this point, ‘R.O.B.Y.N.’ Luke De-Sciscio is still growing and making a name for himself, and seems to be getting better and better with time. He recently dropped a new album called Theo, which is dedicated to and inspired by his newborn daughter Theodora. Below, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite songs from Luke De-Sciscio’s Theo, and then go into my thoughts on the album as a whole to close things out. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about Luke De-Sciscio’s Theo, and also comment the names of any other Indie artists you think I should check out!
DAUGHTER
The reason I am immediately drawn to ‘Daughter’ is because of its delicacy and simplicity. The opening track, ‘Two Headed Shadow,’ has a bit of a frantic tone and feeling. Its melody is very comfortable, but its pacing seems rooted in excitement. Coming in after that opener, ‘Daughter’ calms things down a considerable amount. The melody for this track is very barebones, really consisting of a few very warm notes. Luke De-Sciscio’s vocals on ‘Daughter’ are very deep and full. Even though the melody is so soft, his vocals make this song feel heavy. On ‘Daughter,’ Luke De-Sciscio is delighted by the chance to meet his newborn. He is describing the scene of her birth vividly, and singing about how much he adores her. This song is a very sweet and vulnerable moment that is so soothing to listen to.
SPINNING
Whereas I am more drawn to ‘Daughter’ because of its simplicity, I am drawn to ‘Spinning’ because of its intricacy. ‘Spinning’ starts out with the same kind of slow, bare tone that ‘Daughter’ has but quickly speeds up and gains intensity. This melody that comes in after the introduction has a very bright tone, but also a pretty anxious pacing. It gives the feeling of dread, but also the feeling of nervous anticipation. As cool as the guitar melody is for ‘Spinning,’ the vocals from Luke De-Sciscio are all the more enjoyable. Luke De-Sciscio certainly shows off his range on ‘Spinning.’ The high notes that he hits near the end of the song give it so much texture, coming in like a shock or a breath of cold air. In ‘Spinning,’ Luke De-Sciscio describes a traumatic event of his, and how he is still trying to get over that moment. Although not explicitly said, it seemingly has to do with some sort of public intoxication or public freak-out event. ‘Spinning’ is an audacious track with highly strung energy where Luke De-Sciscio really excels vocally.
7 LAYERS
Out of all the music on this record up until this point, ‘7 Layers’ sticks out in multiple ways; this track really sets itself apart sonically and lyrically. It begins with an interesting vocal bit about a scalpel blade that I thought sounded like a sample but can not find where from. ‘7 Layers’ has a pretty dark sound and energy to it in every way. The melody for this track is pretty downtrodden, and almost gloomy sounding. It is also pretty fast compared to most of the rest of the record, giving the song a feeling of uneasy anticipation. Luke De-Sciscio’s vocal performance on ‘7 Layers’ really stands out. He talks the lyrics of this track for most of it, taking on what is almost a rap flow throughout it. Lyrically, this song is very deep and almost unsettling(for those who do not know much about what is being described). Luke is pretty illustratively talking about his partner’s C-section, singing about watching the blood flow from her and watching his baby appear, wanting to do anything he can to ease them both of the pain. This song rises above the others for its unique sound, lyricism, and overall ambiance. ‘7 Layers’ is a captivating description of a medical feat of wonder, but it may not be for the squeamish or faint of heart.
IN THIS TWILIGHT
To this point on the record(apart from maybe ‘7 Layers’), the album has had a fairly strictly Folk overall sound and feeling. ‘In This Twilight’ is a song that slightly deviates from that feeling in my opinion. Now, of course, it does have an acoustic Folk overall structure. There is something about ‘In This Twilight’ that feels a bit Grungy to me, though. The tone of the melody is very dark. It literally makes me think of looking out a window on a rainy and chilling note. The way that some of the lower chords are played has an emphasis that feels so melancholy and literally Grunge. Even though the vocals are high-pitched and floaty, there is even something about Luke De-Sciscio’s tone on ‘In This Twilight’ that is a tad Grunge in some way. He sings this song with a level of insistence that makes the song almost feel looming. In ‘In This Twilight,’ Luke De-Sciscio describes the conception and arrival of his daughter very artistically and elegantly. This song is almost written in the style of a classic Poem. ‘In This Twilight’ is a song with a murkier feeling than the rest of the record that I appreciate a lot.
DEEPLY RELIGIOUS, 18, AND PRETTY
I have to say, ‘Deeply Religious, 18 and Pretty’ is a very aptly named song. The couple of songs before this one have a slightly more anxious and melancholy tone to them. This one, however, is a lot brighter and sweeter, even if it is pretty intricate. The reason I said this song is aptly named is because of the overall tone of the melody and the vocals. When I hear this one, I almost get PTSD in a funny way, as it literally reminds me of sitting in Church. The melody for ‘Deeply Religious, 18, and Pretty’ immediately makes me think of the music that is played in Catholic churches during times of Communion or times when the Priest is setting up communion. For some reason, this guitar riff zapped me back into sitting in that Church Pew at school as a kid. Even the vocals make me think of that music. Luke’s delivery on this track has the energy of a Church psalm. It is angelic, deep, and beautiful. Even though I admittedly do not have the best memories of Church, there is something very calming about this track that I like a lot. In ‘Deeply Religious, 18, and Pretty’ Luke De-Sciscio sings about wanting to protect his daughter from the harms and turmoils of the world in the way he was not able to protect his partner or other little girls from his area. He has heard of people getting beaten and raped, and he wants to do anything he can to make sure nothing happens to his daughter. Even though this song makes me think of Church(which does give me mixed feelings), the beauty in ‘Deeply Religious, 18, and Pretty’ shines through.
FOR THE POEMS
After the slightly more weighty feeling of the last couple of tracks I picked, I return to a very feathery and unornamented track in ‘For The Poems’ to close out my list. This song is also the last song on the record, and it wraps things up in a very succinct and dainty manner. The melody of ‘For The Poems’ is very light, soft, and sugary. It has a cozy and straightforward tone that sort of sits in the background, putting the focus on Luke De-Sciscio’s vocals. Luke’s vocals on ‘For The Poems’ are very strong and crisp. He sings with a level of power and emphasis that stands out and makes this song pop. For as subdued as the instrumental is, a level of authority totally comes through in Luke’s vocal performance. The strained nature in which he sings this track gives it so much emotion and life. Towards the end of the track, a high-pitched female voice comes in, which gives the song an interesting texture. In ‘For The Poems,’ Luke De-Sciscio poetically describes the birth of his daughter and his love for her. His lyricism on this song is so mesmerizing and intriguing; it is super cool to hear a song written in this manner. ‘For The Poems’ is a beautiful and succinct way to close out this album, and it winds things down so nicely.
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One of my favorite qualities I am attracted to when looking for new Indie artists to cover on this blog is earnestness and passion for the music they are making. There are some artists who sound like they enjoy making music, but it is not their life. They are not truly pouring their heart and soul into their craft, and it does show. When listening to Luke De-Sciscio, it is so evident that he lives and bleeds for this art. His love for the music he makes and for the topics he writes about shines through, and it is so refreshing and attractive. Luke De-Sciscio’s Theo was created solely by Luke De-Sciscio in the 6 weeks after his daughter was born, and to be frank, this is evident in the way it sounds. Theo does sound very barebones and raw, and even a bit rough at times. Luke has said that he likes to make this music by grabbing his guitar and sitting in front of a microphone by himself; I think this is noticeable in how unembellished it sounds. I do not mean this negatively at all, though; I actually love how bare and unsophisticated the music on this record sounds. The focus of Theo is truly put on the melodies, the vocals, and the lyrics; there are no production tricks to draw you away from the genuine feeling of this music. The melodies on this record are diverse and do vary, but the album still flows super well and sounds succinct throughout. I was impressed with Luke De-Sciscio’s vocal chops throughout this record. Luke has so much range and life to his vocals. He hits some high notes that give some of these songs a tone of texture, and he hits some low notes that give other songs a ton of depth. Lyrically is where Theo shines the most, though. Luke De-Sciscio is an awesome storyteller who delivers these relatable sentiments in such an animated way that makes this album feel super personal; if you are into arduous lyricism, this is an album for you. Overall, Theo is a beautiful dedication to Luke’s newborn daughter that parents all around the world can appreciate. Fans of smooth Folk music that has a very deep meaning to it can and will find so much to love on this record.
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