New Music Monday: Listen to ‘Tokyo’ from Second Hand King

December 21, 2015

Natalie Gallagher,

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Just because Joe Stanziola, who performs Second Hand King, is still promoting his May-released album, Before the Bomb Drops, doesn’t mean he pauses on writing new material. On January 8, we’ll have a new album, Almost Blue, from the rapper. On Wednesday, Stanziola released the lead single from that album, called “Tokyo.”

“The album is a concept album that follows along a broken-down jazz player and singer who decides to go pop,” Stanziola writes in an e-mail. “Entwined in the album are stories that tie me to the main character of this album. ‘Tokyo’ is a song about love and heartbreak, but more importantly, it’s a song that calls out the dirty and dark side of love and lust.”

The song, produced by trog’low, is moody and atmospheric. Stanziola’s melancholy verses play out over shimmering, chilly beats as he paints a desolate, lonely scene. It’s a sound miles away from the assured voice we heard months ago on Before the Bomb Drops. If this is what we can expect from Almost Blue, it might be the perfect January album to curl up with and write out some serious resolutions.

Second Hand King releases Almost Blue on Friday, January 15, at the Riot Room with Barrel Maker & D/Will, Rachel Mallin & the Wild Type, Looprat and Craig Smith.