A relative newcomer to the music scene, Kyle Thomas has been steadily releasing singles over the last couple of years in preparation for a full album. Now the time has arrived for his debut full-length album, Majnaric. Titled after his actual last name, the album is a personal collection of acoustic and folk tunes that tell his story and honor his family's legacy.
"Ja Rano U Vrt Dolazim" starts the album in unexpected fashion, with a Croatian opera singer singing "I Come to the Garden Alone" in her native tongue. It's really lovely, but I'll admit to being a little confused by it at first. However, after an initial listen, I looked into it and found that it (and the other tracks like it) were taken from a 60-year-old record of Thomas' grandparents' music. Having that context helped me really appreciate their inclusion on this album and even enjoy them more on repeat listens.
The majority of Majnaric is Thomas' own work. The album is chock-full of easygoing folk music that's pleasant to listen to and relatively simple to digest. The songs are all composed of little more than acoustic guitars, mandolins, and banjos (provided by Curb Records artist Mo Pitney), like a quieter, slower-tempo Arcadian Wild, especially with its lack of true percussion instruments. Truthfully, I would've preferred a better mix of music and vocals, with the music brought up a little more, but the mix is far from egregious, and it's perfectly listenable as-is.
While the music is pretty straightforward, the lyrics are where the album really shines, as they go deep into Thomas' life and testimony. "None Other Has Known" plays off of the opening hymn's lyrics, but instead paints a picture of a life of depression and despair that can only be remedied by the Lord ("None other has known the thoughts that haunt my head alone at night / none other has known when I contemplated suicide / I tried all the Vicodin, it didn't even make a dent / the pain I had ran too far deep under my skin … and You make all things new, so I'll keep coming here to You"). Thomas bears his soul throughout the whole album and is open about his struggles with sin.
Though each song is poignant, there are two standouts for this reviewer, the first of which being "However Old You Are." As a father who is also nervously watching my children get older, this one hits like a ton of bricks. Here, Thomas implores his children to always seek to be more like Christ, as he also expounds on his fears of not doing enough to lead them in the right direction (I'm afraid that I might lead you down some roads you shouldn't go - I feel that, too, brother). The other standout is also perhaps the centerpiece of the album, "My God Has Grace." The song is an incredible anthem that sings the praises of God and His neverending supply of grace and forgiveness, one which completely overshadows any amount of sin and failure. The chorus says, "There's not enough drought to dry up the ocean / there's not enough doubt to drown out my faith / no shadow of darkness can hold back the morning / and I'll never have more sin than my God has grace," and it's a beautiful reminder of how much better He is.
Overall, Majnaric ended up being a terrific surprise. Not all folk music does the job for me, but this is an absolutely wonderful album that keeps the tone pretty relaxed musically, and refreshingly honest and relatable lyrically. It's definitely one that I'll come back to when I'm in the mood for some quiet, peaceful folk music. Make sure to give this one a listen if that's what you're after, too.
Record Label: None
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