I was already an obsessed fan. One of those people who cannot get enough of Scarypoolparty. One of those people whose friends and family think has lost his ever flippin’ mind. I am one of those people who have been surrounded by many famous people throughout my life. I have amazing stories how I have encountered “nobody’s” at the time who have become very famous. I could talk all about those stories for hours, but no matter how amazing my encounters have been, I’ve never been obsessed about any of them.
That is... Until I heard Alejandro Aranda on American Idol. I could not believe my ears. He was playing guitar like a sitar, with seemingly little effort he picked the strings like no one – no one! – I had ever heard before.
This began my obsession with Alejandro and the rest of the story has already been told in my first blog for scaryFANparty. I saw him “live in Brooklyn” back in July. I watched every one of his live videos on YouTube recorded by all his fans. I think I might have listened to videos which only a few people have ever seen. Some of them were videos made by people who were not that great, but they oozed love and respect for Alejandro & Scarypoolparty.
So many of us fell asleep each night with Alejandro performing impromptu concerts on Instagram. Many of us know his unique way of sharing his heart, his pain and his tears. Most of us have become obsessed like myself.
Most of us reading this blog have already listened to Exit Form, his first album release of only two weeks ago. Some of us have listened to it non-stop for two weeks to the dismay and bewilderment of many of our clueless friends and family.
What is it that makes us so damned obsessed? I for one have never been this way. I’ve heard Sarah J. Hoffman, our never-daunting leader say that she has never been an obsessed fan of anyone before. She speaks for me and many of you as well.
Then Monday, December 1, 2019 Alejandro dropped “Broken Images” on YouTube.
Our Scarypoolparty Worldwide “conversation starter” Barbara Robbins indexed each song included in this 1 hour 42 minutes and 13 second video: 1. (00:00) No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti 2. (04:43) 2340927357230498 (My Everything) 3. (09:49) Bury me underneath the house we built / 6000000 4. (15:19) Unknown song (ambient) 5. (16:38) Beautiful 6. (21:44) Romance 7. (25:08) Sarah Jaykins 8. (29:10) Unnamed song - piano, drums, birds 9. (34:55) Unnamed song - beat sounds like the DK + Scarypoolparty jam 10. (39:54) Unnamed song - starts out a cappella, then piano, then beat; spoken toward end: “I really think you need to stop and listen” 11. (44:30) “Keep On Trying” 12. (46:21) Unnamed song - bass synth, flute sounds, piano, singing 13. (50:52) Unnamed song - “I’m setting fire to my memories” 14. (55:01) My Susanna 15. (58:50) Unnamed song -“Let Me Love You” 16. (1:03:28) Unnamed song (starts with guitar strumming, “held me under water, told my friends please don’t bother”) 17. (1:07:24) Oh Baby I Wanna Love You 18. (1:13:54) Unnamed song - “She’s Driving Me Crazy” 19. (1:18:18) Dissonant Harmony 20. (1:22:20) Unnamed song - piano/vocals, then piano with a beat, very short 21. (1:24:00) Be Yourself Player- “you’re all talkin’ the same, walkin’ the same, look at yourself, player” 22. (1:26:39) Sun Stop Rising 23. (1:30:50) Satisfied 24. (1:34:11) Unnamed song - Get Away From Me, soft piano, then computerized vocal, then light beat 25. (1:37:25) New Rap song IG 2019 - Burden of Society extended version).
"Broken Images" by Scarypoolparty
He begins with a few songs which we have heard before online and another couple of familiar songs near the end… but the rest are basically new or songs from his Instagram live concerts. I can only describe this collection of songs as songs which fundamentally capture the many genres, styles and techniques of Alejandro’s creative genius. I truly cannot categorize many of these compositions into any certain genre or style. Some of them sound like jazz meets Steve Reich, a XX classical composer who also is a genre-bending master. A couple are vaguely reminiscent of Cat Stevens or early James Taylor. One even begins with an R & B groove then takes us on a psychedelic-techno journey into his mind filled with passion, sadness and racing thoughts.
How does anyone categorize Scarypoolparty? I’ve heard them called an Indie-industrial rock band. I’ve heard Alejandro called a minstrel folk singer. He’s pop. He’s rock. He’s folk. He’s jazz. He’s classical. He’s industrial dance. He’s even R & B and rap. Damn. What isn’t he? I truly think he’s a master of all music which has come before him.
His latest Instagram “ask me a question” includes a question by a fan who asks is it true that he speaks both Spanish and French. He answers in Morse code blinking “yes I do.” Damn, again! He can do anything.
I was obsessed. I’m past that. I’m overwhelmed. If there ever was a recording of what a modern virtuoso sounds like, this is it.
I end with his own words which he literally speaks in between the transient music captured on “Broken Images.”
“I really think you need to stop and listen”
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