SPOTLIGHT ON CODY CHESTNUT: THE HEADPHONE MASTERPIECE
February 2019
Published March 2020
Life has become alarmingly fast-paced. Snaps are only ten seconds, Vines used to be six, it takes two seconds to scroll through and double tap an Instagram photo, and even less than that to swipe left or right on Tinder. We have become really good at making snap judgements and sticking with them. The music industry is a great example of this. We live in a time where you will get a full album review on the day the project drops. Where a song that was released more than three months ago is considered "old." Where anyone with influence, an opinion, and a Twitter account can tell you how to feel about something before you can even make up your own mind. We move quickly.But how about we slow things down a little? I believe music is supposed to be cherished and allowed to breathe and flourish. Good music stands the test of time. Good music lasts. And yes, good music is subjective. So on that note, I'm going to suggest you listen to someone whose music I love for no other reason than the possibility that maybe you could love him, too.
Atlanta native, Cody Chesnutt released his debut album, The Headphone Masterpiece in 2002. Without wanting to sound dramatic, this body of work is near perfect. The 36 tracks jump between rock, soul, gospel and r&b, with the subject matter being as much relatable as it is completely bizarre and irreverent. Because of the sheer vastness of this project, there is truly something for everyone. Each track sounds different from the last, but all of them contain a soul that could only come from one source. The whole album was recorded in Cody's bedroom through headphones (hence the name), so the sound quality is subpar at best. In a lot of the tracks, you can even hear background noise from the street. But it is all of these elements that make this something insanely unique and interesting to listen to. This is something you need to spend time with. Go back to, again and again.
I was first introduced to Cody when I was 13 by my nanny's boyfriend. It was his track "Smoke and Love" that I heard first and I was equal parts confused and bewildered. It didn't sound like anything I'd heard up to that point in my young life and I wanted more. When I turned 14, my friend gave me a iTunes giftcard and I used it to buy The Headphone Masterpiece. In the years since, I have listened to each track hundreds of times. Thousands maybe. I recently concluded that the album was light-years ahead of it's time. So in honor of a man who I believe fathered a lot of the sound and energy we are seeing now, listen to The Headphone Masterpiece.
Recommendations:
Song to vibe to: Magic in a Mortal Minute
Song to get angry to: Bitch, I’m Broke
Song to feel triumphant to: Serve this Royalty
Song to feel nostalgic to: Enough of Nothing
Song to drive to: Smoke and Love
Song to fall in love to: No One Will
Song to feel arrogant to: Brother with an Ego
Song to make up to: The Make Up
Song to apologise to: Somebody’s Parent
Song to feel special to: Look Good in Leather
The Headphone Masterpiece