Navy Blue- Songs of Sage: Post Panic!

For my first review of 2021, a year which will be about recovery for many of us, I want to talk about an album so emotive that it can help any listener on such a journey. I haven’t expressed my thoughts on Navy Blue until now, but it’s just recently that I’ve realized how moving this guy’s music is. I can most accurately describe him as a jack of all trades; from initially being known as a pro skateboarder, model, and Odd Future affiliate to his evolving discography as a rap artist, Navy Blue (real name Sage Elsesser) is looking to stand out for his versatility. His breakthrough came last year with Ada Irin, a very soulful project that was one of 2020’s most unique hip-hop experiences. Sage displayed great skill on this album through not only his deeply poetic rhymes but also by producing most of it himself. Navy Blue’s profile is ever increasing as we roll into a new year, and he’s making sure his name stays in people’s mouths with a robust new album, Songs of Sage: Post Panic!, dropped right at the end of 2020. I didn’t think it was possible so soon after his last release, but Sage has only elevated his style here; this is a stronger and more fleshed out new chapter of his career.

It’s important to go into this project familiar with this dude’s approach, because not only is it one of the most interesting that I’ve heard recently, but he’s refined it on this new album. The production features more names in the fold this time around, but it still sticks to a familiar sound for Navy: minimal but gorgeous. Even if the beats contain very subdued drums much of the time, powerful vocal samples and lo-fi instrumentation give them so much character. The song “Post Panic!” is defined by the washed out guitar plucking behind Navy’s voice, while “1491” hits you with nice percussion and awesome choral loops. “Memory Lane” implements piano quite lightly but it still makes such an impact when paired with the song’s shimmery vocal samples. Generally, I love how spacious these beats are because they give Navy the perfect platform to take spotlight on every song, and the most poignant elements of the production are able to shine so brightly in the mix.

Navy Blue’s rapping took a while to get used to when I checked out his last album, as it is abundantly distinctive. It’s so understated that it may throw listeners off at first, but I think his stoic delivery matches the seriousness of his subject matter. Like close friend and collaborator Earl Sweatshirt, Sage’s potency comes from being a gifted writer. Instead of trying to flex or brag about his success, he solemnly looks into the past and reflects on what got him to this point. Much of his content is spiritual, and reading his verses I’m usually amazed at how he comes up with such effective imagery to support his beliefs. Right on the intro, “Dreams of a Distant Journey”, we are hit with Sage’s mixed emotions over how far he as come while he ponders what he could be doing in another life. His words match the beautiful strings on the track perfectly, and it makes for a wonderful start. “Tired” contains such profound social commentary that it almost sounds like an impassioned spoken word performance you’d hear at a protest for equality. His verses all over this project are more pained than on Ada Irin; moments like “Alignment”, “Self Harm” and “224” make for some of the heaviest and most introspective rap songs I’ve heard in a long time. The latter keeps up familial themes with him climbing out of darkness by thinking of what his ancestors would have wanted for him. Though this album’s lyrics go in many different directions, Navy Blue is always emotionally vulnerable; something I can greatly respect from any artist.

Even looking beyond his incredibly personal lyrics, Sage has improved his technical skills in several ways here. He’s an engaging voice on tracks like “Deep Water Blue”, where he actually speeds up his flow and drops plenty of clever lines. The evolution is shown by the album’s guest list too, where Navy has almost brought out my own wishlist for this thing. Two of my favorite underground rappers, Maxo and Billy Woods, throw down great verses on “Certainty” and “Poderoso” respectively, but that’s not all. The most notorious feature here comes from Yasiin Bey a.k.a. Mos Def, who really takes the song “Breathe” to another level. The legend himself packs his verse with huge nuggets of wisdom while singing his heart out on the bridge as well. His inclusion turns the song into a powerful display of soul.

There is not much more to say here that I haven’t already stressed; this album has resonated with me for being so packed with heart and vulnerability, plus there are far too many lyrical gems to mention just in this review. Navy is the type of artist to really make you feel comfortable with your flaws, as he shows listeners that everyone struggles with mental health setbacks and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. His ability to be so open about his own insecurities and dark thoughts is what makes this project so compelling. Sonically, I know the extremely mellow style won’t be for everyone, and at first Songs of Sage may not sound like much. Through reading the lyrics and appreciating smaller production details, my love for this album and Navy Blue’s style in general is only growing. Any fan of hip-hop should probably give this a shot, because I do think music as deep and spiritual as this doesn’t come along often. I don’t care if this man’s work forever flies under the radar. Something special is happening here.

Favorites: Dreams of a Distant Journey, Deep Water Blue, Breathe

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