THE SWORD DREW BLOOD: ALBUM REVIEW
In no uncertain terms, Houston’s seFu (seh-FOO) is bound to make a name for himself with the release of his most recent project, The Sword Drew Blood. Coming on the last day of the year, The Sword Drew Blood comes as a poetically potent and emotionally hard-hitting followup to his June 2021 release, STARS ARE BORN IN PAIRS. That project was my initial exposure to the Howard University undergrad, whose knack for sampling and melody is close to par with his lyrical prowess. What immediately captivated me with seFu’s work is this blunt tenderness that exists within his writing. He never plays coy towards his own feelings or the painful journey that comes with finding his own way. Lyrically, TSDB serves as a continuation of these themes, and in the six months between this album and the last, seFu isn’t holding back any punches for friends, family, or foes. It’s an album filled with half-rapped, half-sang jabs of honesty. You hear it in the beats and vocals, which are ever more daring and daydreamy.
The opening track of “Boxing” is a nearly seven minute showcase of metaphor, melodyne-like vocals, and melancholy. The song serves as the central thesis: seFu is both fighting for and against love. He’s fighting himself; fighting grief and betrayal; fighting the objects of his affection. “Loving you is like boxing. Don't let your guard down. But you must, to let them think they too can. Then right when they let their guard down, you strike.” He begins to sing, forgoing a rhyme scheme as he gets to the heart of the matter. Frankly, it’s the offspring of some 808s meeting Ye, not to mention seFu’s transforming of a psych-rock sample into looping chipmunk soul. The track cuts out with a layered guitar clash, abruptly ending the high-stakes introduction and pushing the listener forward.
“Martyr” is a discordant track with lyrics to match. seFu laments the loss of his mother, paints memories of home and women, and raps about being misunderstood while also being the best. Despite the noisiness, seFu delivers a few of my favorite lines: “I don't do this shit for dough baby, I'm Marxist. Maybe I'm a martyr, but firstly baby I'm an artist," or the less ascetic lines, “Misunderstood from the first step. I learn how he stood from the first step. Leave baby throat hurting like first strep."
Chris Ellis provides vocals and production — this being the only song not produced by seFu on the project. “Ascension” & “Ascension (Reprise)” float into one another with airy vocalizations and punctuated bars. “Garden of Eden” is a clever display of biblical allusions and double entendre: “For every Joseph in the Bible, there’s twelve Marks. For every time Joseph (seFu) need reminders take twelve shots.” That biblical imagery carries into the buzzing feedback and angelic strings of “Hands On Me.” Distant laughter and conversation are overlapped by seemingly improvised piano melodies on “Chris’ Composition.”
The second half of TSDB puts unconventional sonics at the forefront, flexing its range and flair. The two-part “I Bled” has seFu soliloquizing over reversed vocal runs. “Serpahim” brings layered acapella to head with deep bass, and “Let’s Dance” returns some of the defiant energy from the opening tracks. My personal favorite is “Skipping Stones” with its wooziness and warbling instruments. It’s a song I keep spinning since my first listen. The act of skipping stones is often one of repetitious reflection and to skip stones can be the putting off the inevitable. “If I said ‘I’m gone,’ I'm gone now,” he raps hesitantly, “But if you answer the phone, I might come home now.”
When “The Muse” concludes, the sword’s been sheathed. TSDB feels like listening in on a blood-letting ritual. All is being spilled out on the table, including seFu, offering whole parts of himself to be hacked at. Even the album art communicates a nakedness, such as being stripped down to the muscle. But TSDB isn’t bare. It’s brimming with acoustic tension and carries the spirit of an underdog at top of their weight class. seFu’s unorthodox ear and novel songwriting have made me a certified fan of The Sword Drew Blood. And after playing this latest offering, one must consider if the pen is mightier.