Rezo - Sew Change (2022)

When old bandmates reconvene 20 years on, the tides of time often mean that the results can sound tired, yet when Colm O’Connell and Rory McDaid got back together remotely during Covid, the resulting Travalog was a breath of fresh air. Two years on, Sew Change, the new album from Rezo (meaning ‘I Pray’ in Spanish) is even more remarkable.

Instead of remote recordings, the new album took shape at Dublin’s Darklands Audio under the watchful eye of Daniel Doherty. Defying expectations, the band has the chameleon-like ability to take on a variety of sounds, shaping and shedding its skin so often it becomes hard to believe that Rezo can create so many different iterations of itself.

“This is my life/ The peak and the trough of it.” As a statement of intent, nothing could be more direct. Looking at life and seeing the highs and the lows for precisely what they are. The opening track, ‘Realised Dreaming’, shares life in ways one doesn’t expect, while guitar and keyboards blend in a semblance of days running into each other, coming and going.

The songwriter’s life is framed by the images they see, and “Boy on a Bridge” emerged from witnessing the fire trucks and police cars converging on Dublin’s Nine Arches Bridge and a troubled teen whose life ended there. Playing off the sadness, capturing it with guitar and subtle swirls of vocals, one senses the confusion and chaos that breaks out. A more positive vibe emerges on “Side by Side.” Instead of being a call of desperation, it frames the richness of life, celebrating our differences. Cynicism is suspended as we search for ways to protect our ability to be vulnerable. Life is as simple as we make it; the problem comes from growing older and expecting things to work out in a particular fashion. Life is more interesting when we deal with the twists and turns and try to find forgotten pathways.

The piano-driven “Sometimes” deals with dementia in all its heartbreaking moments, “You sometimes are my mom/ you sometimes are the same/ You sometimes act frustrated/ like you are near the end.” The honesty of the feelings and the folly that are present are painful, yet the song hinges on the closing line, “Yet I remember you.”

Love is never simple; that would be too easy; as reflected in “Hiding in Plain View”, whose musical twists mirror a relationship. The bass is loud, and synths quietly fire at odd angles, but what comes out of all of this is the notion of remembering what it was about that other person that caused you to fall in love with them in the first place.

The synthesizers bubble along on the plea that is “Your Truth”, while the music grows with further instruments and shadings. The song hinges on the request, “I want you to tell me your truth” because whatever else is going on, the path to understanding is only made clear if we understand each other; while still realizing that truth depends largely on what each individual sees.

Taking on the cancel culture, “Erays” rhythmically offers up drums and a bass line that looms large. Dealing with ostracism, the distorted vocals suggest that everything is not always what it seems; we need to look harder and further to find the kind of answers that will make sense. It’s a bold notion, one that needs to be heard. Even the spelling of the title conveys the sense that there are still rays of hope if we look hard enough for them.

Sew Change is proof that Rezo are still at the forefront of generating fresh and creative collages of sound. It shows that when you choose to colour outside the lines, the most interesting shades can sometimes appear. This is what great music is capable of being.