Over the last 6 months, I have witnessed the progression of the newest project by Tom Ison (Ricky Jamaraz) under his alias Sweat Glass Halo. Going from demos to unmixed, then mastered and mixed songs has been an extremely interesting process to watch. Of course, as a long-time fan and listener, I am biased, but I will do my best to remain unbiased and neutral.
IT’S A REVIEW, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
TRACK 1: Y DON’T U CARE ABOUT ME, LADY?
Starting off with some ambience, straight into some punchy bass and synth, you are instantly transported into the album’s atmosphere. The song details the story of a hotel visitor meeting a clerk and instantly falling head over heels. Over the course of the album, you tend to notice that the characters in the songs have very overactive imaginations.
Of course, as usual, Tom does not slacken instrumentally and brings it all in. Throughout this song and the entire album, I definitely noticed an uptick in both his percussion and production. The work put into the song is real, raw, and powerful. I doubt it will go unnoticed by many people.
On the other hand, the song does get a little long in places, but it never feels like a nearly six-minute song. Although I could blame this complaint on declining attention spans, cause thats not exactly helping. The song never loses my attention though, and keeps me well drawn in; beautiful work!
Overall Rating: 9/10
TRACK 2: I’M NOT A DRUM MACHINE
Remember how I said I was gonna try to remain unbiased? Well, I lied.
This is potentially one of my favorite songs ever, definitely a top ten for me in Tom’s discography. Not only does the song instantly remove the vibe of love that “Y Don’t U Care About Me, Lady?” has, but it also switches tonality to this darker feeling tone. The song describes a narcissistic person who believes the world revolves around them, from an outside perspective of someone affected by them. I love how it talks about how narcissistic people often use others and think everything will end when mistakes happen in their lives, while keeping a lighter tone and never making it feel too hurtful.
As you get into the end of the song, you get this repeating do-doo-do melody from his vocals that honestly just puts the cherry on the cake for me. I don’t exactly know why either, definitely how different it is, but it’s so different from anything Tom has done before.
Overall Rating: 10/10
TRACK 3: VERY CHEMICAL, VERY YIKES (PILLS 4 THE PILLS REMAKE)
An oldie but a goldie. If you’ve listened to his old main account, Ricky Jamaraz, you may remember Pills 4 The Pills. Personally, I remember it being one of my favorites from Return To Zero; at the time, it was a level of experimentation that Tom had never tried before. But it also inspired Sweat Glass Halo’s sound: using a bass as the lead instrument instead of guitar or piano.
Honestly, it is very different from the original but not in many ways; it still slaps hard as hell, if not harder now. The new instrumental psychedelic bridge is definitely my favorite addition, though.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
TRACK 4: NOT IF I LOVEBOMB YOU FIRST
Once again, I am biased; this was one of my least favorite demos, sadly. However, I do love the album version; for some reason though, something never clicked with me for the song. Maybe it was just the lack of personal experience tied to the lyrics, as I have never lovebombed or been lovebombed.
Instrumentally, though, we still haven’t slowed down and are still kicking it. Once again, the bridge may be my favorite part of this song, which is something I’ve tended to notice for Sweat Glass Halo. I love how their bridges really switch it all up and make the song change without losing its momentum.
Also, this track was the first time we’ve ever really heard a true scream from Tom, I think- wonderful addition. Screams really fit the vibe of the album as a whole, and I wish there was more across the record (but it served well in the moments it was used, and I am glad it was reserved).
Overall Rating: 8/10
TRACK 5: GIVE THE GIRLS MORE VALIUM!
The first demo we ever heard for the album. Man, when I tell you this song got me excited, but I was also scared for the somewhat new, more polished sound from Sweat Glass Halo, which hilariously is my favorite thing from the album now!
What a topic to talk about, though; it’s definitely a huge sucker punch to hear about but definitely a punk rock topic to write and sing about. All I can honestly think of the whole song is, man, those poor children; the lyrics truly do come from a place of sadness for what happened to women who were having to take valium.
The bridge on this song does drag me away slightly, but the punch that comes after really SLAPS, so I can honestly say the build-up and wait for it work SO well. Wonderful work!
Overall Rating: 9/10
TRACK 6 AND 7: HOLD TIGHT, SWEET PRINCE, OH BUDDY + BIANCA IS A HOSTILE GOD FLIRT SEXY IMMORTAL DICTATOR
It wouldn’t be an album by Tom if the LGBTQIA+ community weren’t in it.
Not only does the topic of this song slap, but stuff like this genuinely happened during the Middle Ages. Princes and jesters genuinely would hook up sometimes, and it would stay hidden. But to turn a topic like that into a song is just so beautiful, and it genuinely makes me so happy. Potentially one of my favorite songs on the album, especially the outro! Tom seriously shows off his prowess instrumentally, vocally, and lyrically on this one, in my opinion.
The transition into a softer interlude after such a chaotic but good ending works so well and is so lovely; once again, BEAUTIFUL work.
Overall Rating: 10/10
TRACK 8: (WE’RE JUST) DIGITAL ROBOTS WITH HUMAN SMILES
Halfway through, and you can tell that this song starts the B-Side of the album. Truly WOW, what a take on being emotionally unavailable. I’ve never really heard it described like this, and it truly SLAPS to infinity.
Using ambience to come in first and build again, just like how “Y Don’t U Care About Me, Lady?” did, works so well and really rejuvenated me after the first half. Also, the album title is said here, and it really speaks to the whole vibe of the album.
“I asked an 8-ball, ‘ Why? ‘, and it said coldly in reply: ‘It is what it is, you know what I mean?’
It all is what it is; you can’t really change what the past does to you, and you just have to accept it and move on sometimes, and I love that it’s a huge theme of the entire album.
Overall Rating: 9/10
TRACK 9: MY ANIMAL INSTINCTS ARE REALER THAN YOURS
Okay, I kinda had to address the outrageously long and silly track titles at some point, right? Truly, I think once again just the vibe of Sweat Glass Halo is this silly but punk rock vibe, like, to be honest, they wouldn’t really give a fuck what people would think about them, and I think that’s sick.
Lyrically, I feel like this is a weaker song mostly because I’ve found it hard to tell what it’s about. I have a vibe, but I’m not exactly sure, y’know? Instrumentally, it’s one of the strongest, and I appreciate it so much for that, and I LOVE the bridge. This song does take the cake in its punchiness, though, I think, and is one of the hardest rockers on the album.
Overall Rating: 8/10
TRACK 10: SORRY I ALMOST KILLED YOUR GIRLFRIEND (AND YOU)
Sorry I almost ruined your album experience by rating the tracks, but it feels right. Yeah, this song SLAPS, definitely another favorite from the album, and the interpolation of “Come As You Are” by Nirvana is seriously so cool.
Percussively, I think this is my favorite track ever from Tom, and I’m so glad that Tom decided to keep the beatboxing for the final track. It really pulls the whole thing together, first time he’s ever done beatboxing, but it’s better than most I’ve heard!
Overall Rating: 9/10
TRACK 11: INDIE DISCO NIGHTMARE NIGHT OF HORRORS (FOR THE FOOD REMAKE)
Out of the tracks from Worst Album Ever that I loved, “For The Food” was on top. I’m so glad Tom decided to remake it and give it a new life; definitely one of my favorite tracks on this album and an absolute solid piece of work. Although the slowed-down tempo seriously caught me off guard, it grew on me and works so well.
The hook into the final chorus is so GOOD, I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anything quite like that drop. And it works so well. Definite flashbacks to when “Hold Tight, Sweet Prince, Oh Buddy” did a similar thing.
Overall Rating: 10/10
TRACK 12: I MET HER AT THE 2ND DORSET CARAVAN GIG
Genuinely was invested from the first short demo Tom showed off; once again, it’s such a different vibe to anything Tom has made before, and being in 7/4 makes it even weirder! So insanely cool how the alternating vocals were incorporated. Plus, sampling a hangout with some randomly met friends in a song is so cool.
The topic of the song is so cute too! Tom talks about meeting his girlfriend Mimi on the track, and it’s just genuinely heartwarming. The love you have to have for someone to write a song like this for them is insane, and it’s beautiful to even hear sung about.
Overall Rating: 10/10
TRACK 13: Y DON’T U CARE ABOUT THE REPRISE?
Listen, I wasn’t expecting it to sound like that, especially on such a fast album, but the slowdown is so appreciated, and my ears were actually very thankful to get a break before “NOW! That’s What I Call Closure” to get a true taste of it. Still so different from what Tom has done before, and it works so well on the record and honestly doesn’t take away from it in my opinion
Overall Rating: 8/10
TRACK 14: NOW! THAT’S WHAT I CALL CLOSURE
I’m speechless.
There aren’t really words to express how this song makes me feel. It’s one of those songs that makes you get your life together after years of failing to get through the pain. Not to get too personal, but going through a breakup recently with someone I had a future planned out with really put the emotional cherry on this song for me. Deciding that I wanted to move away from home next year to move to Glasgow, and really trying to make that dream come true, really spoke to me in this song as well!
I think no matter where you are in your life, it’s a relatable song, and genuinely emotionally cathartic.
Onto the real bits on the song, the production is genuinely so enjoyable and works to build on itself, and I love how the track grows. It may be lyrically and emotionally my favorite song Tom has ever made. The growth in production throughout the track and the way it completely separates itself from the rest of the album but fits the feeling of the album works so well. It does such a good job of bringing everything together and giving it a cohesive ending.
Overall Rating: 10/10
CONCLUSIONS
Personally, for me, the album is a solid 95/100. There aren’t really many low points if any at all, and it very much builds on its hype throughout itself so well.
Thank you to Tom for letting me do this review! Genuinely, I’m always happy to be involved and work in this community; it’s one of the things that consistently makes my day. Maybe I’ll do a video for the Sammy Phase or Crashtune album- who knows?!
But all in all, my review for this album doesn’t matter, and you should form your own opinion. At the end of the day,
It is what it is, you know what I mean?
Like, we’re just living our lives and chilling
You know what I mean?
CREDITS:
Musician: Thomas A. Ison (aka Ricky Jamaraz, and Sweat Glass Halo)
Writer: Caleb Hysell
Editor: Caleb Hysell
Interviewer: Caleb Hysell
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