One of the things I love most about reviewing music is that I've discovered many artists that I never would have found otherwise - and many times they find me! Such was the case when I received an email from Krzystztof Traczyk with the subject line: "Album about solitude, which won't be talked about much." Hmmm, interesting! He included a link to a YouTube video for the single "Far From Home" under the name of Christopher Sawyer. I found myself even more intrigued, so of course, I responded and agreed to review his (Christopher Sawyer's) second album called Together Nowhere, Alone Elsewhere. I don't review many vocal albums, but this artist is truly a poet who writes, sings, composes and plays from the heart. He is also the vocalist for a group called ROSK based in Warsaw, Poland. In his own words:

"Solitude has many faces. You can long for lost love. You can yearn for love you never had. You can be homesick, lonely in the biggest crowd and peaceful in the emptiest desolation. Solitude can be your biggest foe and your kindest friend."

Additionally:

"Together nowhere, alone elsewhere" is an attempt at familiarizing solitude. Looking at its many faces in different contexts, from romance, through pandemic isolation, to war front."

Putting this album into a specific category or genre is tough. It is dark, poetic, deeply emotional, and sometimes a bit unsettling in its honesty and truth. The instrumentation on most tracks is fairly spare - piano and/or guitar, and two tracks include violin and additional vocals by Julianna Grzeszek. Actually, it kind of reminds me of the recordings we used listen to sitting in a darkened room, getting lost in the words and music. There is no way you can listen to this album casually and totally "get it." So get comfy, turn off the lights and get lost in the words and music of Christopher Sawyer aka Krzystztof Traczyk.

Together Nowhere, Alone Elsewhere begins with "The road you take on your own, pt. 1," a quiet piano solo that sets the tone for what's to come. "The shadow on the wall" is a vocal duet with Julianna Grzeszek accompanied by Chris' piano and Julianna's violin. "Far from home" is the only single from the album and tells an emotional story from a soldier's point of view when he is "far from home" - incredibly powerful! "I in isolation" is a lively solo piano waltz that slows and fades out at the end. The title track is one of the most compelling. Piano, keyboards, strings and a driving beat propel lyrics that are whispered until near the end when the title is sung. Again, deeply emotional and very affecting. "Still" is also compelling in its honesty, looking at what it means to be truly alive: "This burning world won't let us stay the same - And time is running out." "So you're leaving" and "Dreamfall" are heartbreak set to music. The album closes with "The road you take on your own, pt. 2," which in a way ties all of the songs together.

What a powerhouse of an album this is, and I hope my review will get at least a few people talking about it! Together Nowhere, Alone Elsewhere is available to stream or download from Amazon, Bandcamp, and Apple/iTunes and is available from many streaming sites including Spotify. $2 from every purchase (single, digital, and physical) go to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.