Maybe it is his intriguing one-syllable name. Maybe it is the romantic, many-syllable name of his debut EP, I Don’t Want To Make It Alone, I Want To Make It With You. Whatever the case, beaux knows how to grab your attention and keep you entertained. Inspired by the sounds of label-mates, No Rome and The 1975, beaux makes a strong first impression with this EP, experimenting with quite a few genres and tapping into a mixture of fervent emotions.
The EP begins with the very fitting, “Look How We Started.” The track is a bit of a whirl, as it clocks in at under two minutes. Somehow, though, beaux manages to fit a lot of himself in this brief track, from personal revelations in the lyrics to creative expression in the production. Is this a pop track? Rap? An alternative blend of the two? Before we can figure it out, we arrive at the final chord progression, which repeats in our heads as we venture off into the next track.
The next few tracks expand on the title of the EP, and secure the staples of beaux’s sound. On “Best Friends” and “Get On With Your Life,” beaux describes the confliction that comes with cutting ties with close people in your life. On one hand, it is sad to see these people go, but on the other hand, you need to do what is best. And sometimes, you need to lose certain people to better appreciate others in your life, as we observe on “Fine With Me.” Whether you are into acoustic, nostalgic tracks that come from the likes of Ed Sheeran or enjoy tracks that are sleeker and filled with swag, you are bound to connect to one of these songs.
The last half of the EP includes two of my favorite tracks, “She Won’t Love Again” and “I Don’t Want To Make It Alone, I Want To Make It With You.” The jazz organ accompaniment on “She Won’t Love Again” brings such a bright disposition to the dreary tales and thoughts that beaux shares with us on the track; complete with beaux’s comforting, soulful voice, we feel as if not all hope is lost. The title track speaks to fans of The 1975 the most, as it contains many elements that can be found in the band’s vast catalog of music. As beaux elaborates on his journey to become a successful musician, we cannot help but root for him.
The EP closes with “Overthinking,” a track that makes for a surprising end to such a magnificent body of work. Usually, EPs or albums end with tracks that make you think, and leave you with a message. However, “Overthinking,” does the opposite. It does send a message, but it reminds you not to dwell on life too much. As we sit with this message and try to gather our final thoughts on the EP, we feel as if we should let it breathe. The best way to make sense of things, and new artists, is to just let them exist.
Overall, I Don’t Want To Make It Alone, I Want To Make It With You is, literally, just the beginning for beaux. It lets us into his world, and gives us enough variety to decide on whether or not to follow along with beaux on his journey or pass him up. Hopefully, you choose to stick with him, as he is surely on the path to something worthwhile. After all, who wants to make it alone?
You can listen to I Don’t Want To Make It Alone, I Want To Make It With You on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
