There's Alot To Unpack On HeIsTheArtist's "The Book Of Mary" EP

The Book of Mary is a very interesting EP to crack open and dissect. It comes to us straight from new performer Heistheartist (pronounced He Is The Artist), real name LeeMann Bassey. Hailing from Central Islip, New York, Heistheartist began his career as a soul artist, but over time he began to slowly broach the genre that is Christian music. That brings us to his latest project and first EP, The Book of Mary. Containing a short and sweet collection of six songs (two of which are remixes of one of the already existing songs), it’s a unique take on Christian music in that it tackles its themes with some very vague metaphors and interesting delivery. Heistheartist’s vocal performance is definitely one of the defining features of the album. Bassey does not really sing the songs on the album, but rather he subtly and quietly says them with very little energy. It’s the sort of delivery where one either finds it wonderful or intolerable, adding to the uniqueness of the album. It does work in favor of the album’s themes, though it’ll be a point of contention. There’s also the spirituality subject matter involved, that being the every song here is about intense and intimate matters of religion, guilt and longing. The opener, Virgin, is musically an intense song about the hardships and struggles of nuns trying to retain their chastity in a society that encourages being open with sexuality. There’s a lot to unpack, and the vagueness of the lyrics leave some details up to interpretation. The second song on the album is If I Were A Virgin Again, and it’s about rebirth and being given a second chance. The most telling line in the song would be “If I were a Virgin again, I would fly high, higher than I ever could. Take me higher, oh Lord,” which eschews some of the subtlety of the previous track, though most of the song still features some very metaphorical concepts. Without a doubt however, the best track is Childish and its remixes. The mixing on this album is generally lush, spacey and almost abstract, and this is at the forefront of Childish. They’re excellent tracks, and a very impressive show of musical production. The Book of Mary is a hard EP to recommend. It’s experimental and bizarre in many ways, but those able to peel back its layers will find a lot to appreciate behind Heistheartist’s performances and music. We say give it a look, especially Childish and its remixes. https://artistecard.com/heistheartistInstagram-