“Sporadic - You and Me” Album Review
This is something a little different for me because I am actually really close with this artist and I have been with him since the very start of his journey into becoming the artist that is Sporadic. Sporadic is a band manned by one talented individual named Yehudi Jaquez. The first song ever released by Sporadic was Darker Than I Remember in October 2021 and has sporadically (pun intended) released individual songs over the past few years leading up to the release of his debut album You and Me on February 16, 2023.
The album opens up with the song “It Didn’t Work Out…” with a beat reminiscent of the song “Overtime” by the band LANY that is prevalent throughout the background of the entire song. I personally love when intro beats are prevalent in the background of the entire song. It makes the song feel connected rather than the typical verse, chorus, verse, bridge, and then finally chorus 2x formula of instrumentals in most songs. The album lyrically sets the tone for the album as a break up song as well as with repeating the album name “You and Me” multiple times throughout the song. I love when albums tell a story and can feel like a project as a whole rather than just the title track being what the album is about. Sporadic makes it a point to tell an all encompassing story with this albums overarching theme of a relationship that does not work out in the end.
However, that does not mean the album is all about a break up. The album continues to the next song, “Crush” which lyrically reminds me of the high school type love that you have as a teenager. Instrumentally reminds me of something that would have been on COIN’s Uncanney Valley album. The album then continues with the song “Butterfly” which continues the theme of loving someone young at heart and is a great example of how Sporadic does his buildups in his songs. One thing Sporadic has always done to perfection is the buildup of a song and having the buildup turn into something absolutely beautiful making the entire song memorable in every song. I found myself going back to specific songs just wanting to hear the buildup and get the pumped up feeling I got when listening. Not many artists can pull this off, especially this early into their careers.
My favorite songs on the album seem to be some of the more simple songs. Although, my absolute favorite song on the record is definitely “Train Ride.” The song makes me feel like I am on my own adventure with what starts out small, but then taking a dramatic turn into something unexpected. It reminds me of me a lot about life itself and the way life can turn into something spectacular by just taking a chance on something like meeting someone for the first time by taking a train into the city. The album continues with another personal favorite “Day Dreaming.” An acoustic feel good song that reminds me of day dreaming and something I could see playing in a movie where the main character is looking out the window of a bus watching time go by. Later in the album is a song called “Hopeless” which to me is about falling hopelessly in love with someone and the feelings that come with that.
The album then takes an interesting turn with the song “Happen” where Sporadic nearly drops the f-bomb, but fades it out. The song has a very poppy instrumental with aggressive lyrics. I took it as meaning where something should be fun and enjoyable, is made stressful by the other in a relationship/situationship as the song implies. The album then goes into a new version of “Darker Than I Remember” which shows how much Sporadic has matured as an artist since its original release with notable differences to it’s predecessor that make the song that much better. This song will always remind me of a time where Yehudi and I were both trying to figure life out and how we both got through it.
The album ends with the title track “You and Me” which ends with the overarching theme of the album, a relationship that just didn’t work out. It’s a healthy reminder that sometimes certain relationships are just not supposed to work out no matter how many things you and your partner do to try and fix it. The song ties the whole album together in a little knot with a buildup I love and then the song just stops making me want to put the album back on repeat. The album includes 14 different songs, including a Christmas song! The album can be listened during any season and that is one of the reasons I love it so much. The album You and Me is a strong debut with twists and turns from Sporadic and I look forward to hearing what comes next.
Sporadic’s debut show in Fort Myers, Florida is on March 28th. However, if you are unable to make it, I have been told it is the first show of many. You may even see me at a show or tour one of these days. In the meantime, you can support Sporadic by purchasing his merch at his web store (https://thisissporadic.bigcartel.com/) or by streaming his album at the following link:
