Written by Ashley Paskill
On November 20, 2020, Aaron Taos released the deluxe reissue of his debut album, Birthday Boy. The original album was released in March 2019. The reissue is called Birthday Boy (Party Favors) and features the songs on the original album with 3 new songs and a handful of remixes.
The opening song, “Birthday Blues,” highlights the feeling that many can relate to of reaching another birthday and feeling like there is so much more that could have been accomplished or done over the past year. It has a feeling of darkness and somberness that accompanies the feelings of inadequacy that can come up on a birthday. The song also mentions how quickly time flies throughout the year and how much needs to be done.
“Control,” the third song on the album, has a different sound than the first two songs on the album. As a contrast to the first song, it has a sense that he is in control of things and is generally more positive. The sound has more positive vibe to it and is fun to listen to.
While many of the songs sound like one of two styles, “Take It Easy,” is unique. It features a Bible passage spoken near the end of it. The only odd thing about the song is that there is a curse word bleeped out. The rest of the album is pretty free from swearing, so it may be bleeped in an effort to keep with the rest of the album.
“Amnesia” is the first of the new songs and it has an upbeat feel to it. This song does have the swear word that was bleeped out in “Take It Easy,” which is interesting. However, it is one of the new songs and Taos may have decided to include this in the song as an evolution.
“Summer’s Gone” is an upbeat song that talks about the end of a summer fling. It reminisces on the memories of the summer and is a generally fun song. However, the concept of a song about an ending summer fling is not new, and the song does not address it in a new way.
“Control” is the first remix on the album. However, the only new thing about the song is that it has other singing on it. The one singer who sung seemed to have issues hitting the lower notes in the second verse. Along the same lines, the “Loneliness Pt. II” is pretty much the same as the original, just adding a new person in. The only songs that sound like true remixes when compared to the originals are “Dazed And Amused” and “Is It Anything.” The stripped-down version of “Control” definitely sounds different, but it still has elements of feeling full.
“Bloom” is a remix that is on the reissued album, but the original album did not have the song “Bloom.” The original was posted on his YouTube channel last year, so the only way listeners can compare the songs is if they go on and watch the original.
Overall, the original album still stands strong, but the remixes could be stronger. The point of remixes is to have a bit of a different sound or feel to the original, and for the most part, the remixes on this album did not hold up. It was cool to hear other people on the album to hear their voices interpret the songs.
Connect with Aaron Taos
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music
