On
Blisters and
Soil, heartache seemed fundamental to
serpentwithfeet's music, whether he was moving toward it or away from it. He turned a corner, however, with 2020's Apparition EP, where he swore to himself that he'd make his "heavy heart" a thing of the past. On
Deacon, he makes good on that promise and then some:
serpent's second album is just as rooted in R&B and gospel as his previous music, but it's as celebratory as
Blisters and
Soil were aching. Though
serpentwithfeet is in a markedly different emotional space than before, he sounds just as genuine and eloquent.
Deacon's lightness and sense of relief is almost palpable as he sings about the pure beauty of everyday love and happiness, and the little details that fill his songs ground his joy in earthy reality. "Malik" sings the praises of a southern love who "wears socks with his sandals." On "Same Size Shoe," he tenderly rhapsodizes about loving other Black men, telling everyone "the good news" and mimicking a trumpet with scat vocalizations over beats with the delicate flow of late-'90s and early-2000s R&B.
Serpentwithfeet embraces the entire spectrum of love on
Deacon, whether it's the charming, soft-spoken flirtation on "Amir," the erotic peak of "Wood Boy," or the celebration of a good circle of friends on "Fellowship." Similarly, the album's gentler touch also lets him widen his musical range. "Hyacinth" is a gorgeous union of R&B and psychedelic pop that's as breezy as a spring day, even though its substantial drums and bass hint that the drama hasn't left his music entirely. That flair for the theatrical comes to the fore brilliantly on the moody, driving "Sailor's Superstition" and "Heart Storm," an ultra-sensual duet with
Nao that depicts love as a downpour complete with earth-shaking beats and rippling keys. More soothing and fulfilling than thrilling,
Deacon revolves around the idea that love doesn't have to be a burden. It's a realization that
serpentwithfeet transforms into a beautiful, fully realized work of art for his audience to savor. ~ Heather Phares