“I’m a Rock” is a track from Jitwam’s 2019 album “HONEYCOMB.”
I would say I heard it far too late in life, but I think I actually might have found it at the perfect time: the height of autumn, driving up a windy mountain road, being caressed by cold air and cedar wood smoke. It was the only song I listened to for about 72 hours.
It’s sultry and bluesy, a formless tango in orange floodlight from the jump: a funky little cowbell beat and backing synths like molasses, both moving together in viscous ecstasy. At around one minute and twenty-six seconds is an inquisitive gliding melody. Inarguably my favorite part; it’s intoxicating, it reminds me of the ceaseless groove we commit to as humans, up and down and high and low again.
Its warmth is not limited to its sound. Jitwam writes about wading through time, trying to find a more sustainable source of peace than lazy, fleeting highs:
“In the middle of the ocean / Life is here in slow motion / I’m a rock, and I’m destined to find / I’m a rock and I’m going to clear my mind / of these feelings, these feelings.”
Simplistic enough in their presentation, the lyrics touch on a spiritual desire that doesn’t quite require eloquence or extravagant rituals. With enough replays, it then becomes something of a chant.
“I’m a Rock” so gracefully weaves between genres. It’s patchwork soul—lo-fi like indie and smooth like house—and it humbly brings something new to the table. Through the right headphones, its ambient seduction is an affair with the ears in full bloom.
Check out Jitwam’s other work here.
