Noah Thomas, fellow sophomore here at Cornell, released his debut EP Fragile Pieces about a month ago. I was lucky enough to attend his EP release party where the songs were performed live with the accompaniment of a live band. I am very critical of music, especially music not in the main genres that I listen to which are rap and R&B. I came into the EP release party not knowing about Noah as a musician, and I left a fan.
Fragile Pieces can be described as a cross between alternative and R&B, with songs that vary from flaring percussion like “Stay” to songs centered around acoustics like “Wouldn’t Mind.” The percussion in some of the songs paired with the piano gives a jazzy and authentic feel, very different from the music that I’m used to listening to now. Electronic sounds dominate the music scene today, branching into hip-hop and rap music as well. Fragile Pieces has many similarities to Daniel Caesar’s Freudian, with periods of instrumental breaks and rich use of different tones to make the piece more dynamic.
Fragile Pieces tells the familiar tale of young love, starting with the song “Stay” describing the turbulence of a toxic relationship and the contemplation regarding whether or not to remain in the relationship. Next, “Saturday” expresses the ache one feels for that special someone’s physical presence, and not knowing who you are without them. Next is “Wouldn’t Mind,” which is actually my favorite song of the EP. The touching lyrics about being so in love that you envision the rest of your life with your significant other paired with the sweet acoustics will make any listener feel warm inside.
The final track and title track, Fragile Pieces, talks about working to repair a relationship that has seemingly lost hope. The sentiment of this song is something that a lot of young adults and especially college students can relate to. Often times the idea of having a significant other is what one falls in love with, as opposed to the person who is filling that role.
All in all, Fragile Pieces is a strong debut compilation of emotion, musical talent and (for lack of a better word) ~groovy~ vibes. I can’t wait to see what Noah has coming next, and check out his EP Fragile Pieces below if you haven’t.
Listen to more music by Noah Thomas on SoundCloud.
