EDDIE CHACON - Lay Low

After the extraordinary collaboration with producer John Carroll Kirby, which culminated in the wonderful “Sundown”, Eddie Chacon chooses to put himself on the line again by teaming up with Nick Hakim, American neo-soul artist. A choice, perhaps inevitable in the search for fresh inspiration, that reconnects him to the sounds of the first phase of his career, when he was experimenting with R&B alongside Charlie.

The encounter with the Brooklyn producer, however, progressively strips his sound bare, setting him on a path of subtraction that at times brushes against lo-fi aesthetics. A perfect example, in this sense, is “Birds”, the track featuring Hakim himself, where Chacon's voice floats light within a sea of impalpable sounds, accompanied only by bare essential piano chords. The recent past is not, however, abandoned, and Kirby still makes an appearance on “Empire”, which with its vibrant horns and joyful funk-jazz rhythm stands out clearly from the muffled, relaxed atmospheres that dominate the rest of the album.

Many tracks are dedicated to his beloved mother, and in a broader sense, “Lay Low” could be considered a concept album centered on her memory and on loss. The opening is entrusted to “Good Sun”, in which Chacon recalls a phrase his mother often repeated to him. The track, accompanied by placid drumming and swirling synths, is wrapped in a dreamlike yet distinctly soul atmosphere. Next comes “Let You Go”, in which he confronts the pain of loss, softening its pathos with an arrangement that recalls Motown sounds. In the final section, however, the distant, distorted backing vocals evoke a spectral atmosphere, almost suggesting an absence that continues to be felt. The theme of letting go, and the difficulty of doing so, resurfaces several times, finding its fullest expression in the closing track (“If I Ever Let You Go”). At times, a sense of estrangement and alienation takes over (“Let The Devil In”), while elsewhere apocalyptic urgency is balanced by neo-soul grooves that add depth without weighing things down (“End Of The World”). 

With a contained running time of about half an hour, “Lay Low” weaves together fascinating but uneven ideas, a sign of an artist still in a phase of exploration, searching for a more defined direction. Without achieving the cohesion of a masterpiece, the album still delivers some deeply intense moments. The title track is perhaps the most convincing episode: a delicate piano, discreet drums and Eddie Chacon's incredibly soulful voice, which in its essential simplicity conveys emotion through a handful of intense elements.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

09/02/2025