Aaron Lee Tasjan moulds darkness into light; a beacon of understanding and unfiltered feeling that shines a light on the queer community
Queer activist, Grammy nominee and seasoned live musician Aaron Lee Tasjan is back with his new record ‘Stellar Evolution’.
Proving his most authentic creation to date, ‘Stellar Evolution’ blends Alt Rock, Hyper Pop, Slacker Indie and 80s new wave.
Inspired by the increasingly dark times the LGBTQI+ community have faced in the South, Tasjan tackles his own trauma through his queerhood, substance abuse and eventual sobriety.
With compliments from Rolling Stone, Billboard and PAPER, it’s no wonder that Tasjan’s new record is making waves.
Referred to as an ‘indie rock chameleon’, Tasjan is uncontainable and indefinable, just like ‘Stellar Revolution’.
Opening with ‘Alien Space Queen’, Tasjan sets his otherworldly tone with deep percussive synths and his 80s inspired vocal.
In an immediate shift, ‘The Drugs Did Me’ is a slow motion feeling look at Tasjan’s experience with drug abuse.
Spoken word, thick synths and light electronic percussion with a touch of slide guitar create an incredibly visceral experience.
A mix of humour and honesty, something that seems a hallmark of Tasjan’s music.
‘Dylan Shades’ is an earnest love song, a wistful collection of poetry atop an explorative sonic offering.
‘Horror Of It All’ sticks with this theme, reminiscent of Omar Apollo, and a delightful showcase of Tasjan’s vocal ability and alt rock aptitude.
‘Ocean Drive’ and ‘Nightmare’ bring things down, leaning heavily into the raw emotion that is omnipresent in all of Tasjan’s work.
The backend of the album loses no momentum, a slight musical theatre energy to ‘Cry Till You’re Laughing’, a Mika-esque buoyancy to the piano and vocal.
‘Young’ is a beautiful ballad, an expression of Tasjan’s innate artistry and heartfelt lyricism, a track that resembles Conan Gray’s more vulnerable moments.
This track feels at the core of Tasjan’s exploration, and the themes of ‘Stellar Evolution’ itself.
There is nothing missing when it comes to Aaron Lee Tasjan’s music, and ‘Stellar Evolution’ is a testament to an artist brimming with just the right amount of that unnameable quality that turns artists into stars.
