Brock Mackenzie - Infrared (Album)
It’s been a minute since I last sat with a Brock Mackenzie project, the last being the beautiful “Red Eye”, which I made sure to revisit before jumping into his latest, solely based off this running theme of the color red that seems to be ever so present, it is one of my personal favorite colors. On “Infrared” however, Brock is on a wavelength all his own, with that flight he was on previously now entering into another dimension. Suddenly Mackenzie awakens in a “Porsche”, ready to skirt off into this newfound “Fame” of his. I’m not gonna sit here & act like I’m privy to the man’s personal life but judging from the lyrics on the introduction, this getaway of his in order to continue his soul search was more than needed, long overdue even, though he does a little reflecting on how quickly the past slipped out of his grasp, choosing to rather dwell on the fonder memories that led up to this juncture in his life & career on the follow up track.
His self awareness on “Fame” is beautifully melancholy, as he allows himself to slip further & further away from things he simply has no control over, whilst accepting his own pitfalls along his emotional musical journey. To me, this record feels like afterglow, like anxiety being alleviated, just that calming relaxation you feel once you come out of an episode & have that time to reflect on how you could’ve better handled whatever situation may have brought about these anxious feelings. On “Leovirgo”, he decides to finally accept himself for who he is & understands that, they’re just two different souls on two different paths, whomever this mysterious person he’s speaking to is. He relocates to a place of isolation, far away from the air of civilized man & I love how he plays to the futuristic themes the music exemplifies throughout the lyrics, weaving it all into his introspection.
The “Details” are absolutely marvelous on this specimen he’s stumbled upon, she’s so otherworldly, unlike anything his eyes have feasted upon. His eyes are glossy red, like jewels from hell as he can’t tell whether or not she’s real or if his eyes are just deceiving him. I’m sure everyone can relate to the iffy sleep patterns. If I’m correct, on “Subnautica”, he’s referencing the video game, which would definitely make sense if he’s going “deep” as he says it’s time to. Deep as in spiritually, not just sexually. Obviously this woman is unlike the typical puddles of protoplasm back down on Earth. Definitely the most sensual cut out of all of these, as it bleeds beautifully into the late night R&B vibes of the title track. Karma. appearance on here really gives it that flavor as the both pine over love lost. They know the feeling is mutual, although she’ll never admit it.
On “New Vegas”, it seems he’s envisioning, perhaps a stripper or not even to define her as solely that but rather just a beautiful yet lost girl, who clearly wants more than what her life is currently offering & he may possibly have what she’s looking for, if only those stars could align. Unfortunately, he feels like a ghost & expresses this sentiment on “Poltergeist”. He knows the love he has to offer is worthy but his indecisiveness appears to be holding him back from finding his true love. There’s a sense of sadness that’s underlying the sentimentalities throughout this sincere number. On the albums outro, fittingly titled “Vertigo”, Brock spirals back down to Earth, facing his fear of falling head over heels again for someone who just ain’t good for him. The love is still there but the direction he’s headed, she can’t come along.