Xamination: GT the Guitar Man

The Truth

GT the Guitar Man

Storm Records

Going by the title, there is one truth about GT – the boy can sing. And, of course, play the guitar. After a seemingly endless wait, the long anticipated debut album is finally ready and a first listen proves that it’s been worth waiting for.

It starts off with a subtle battle cry on “Hustle” where GT declares that he will “hustle, to put some food on my table/tell the world that I’m able/a grown man like me can’t afford to fail.” The accompanying guitar carries you along as his silky voice rides the melody effortlessly, with a maturity that is rare amongst current performers. It is a good jump off that preaches promise for the rest of this album.

Game of life

His debut single, “Dreamer” where he asks if “dreams ever come true in this part of this world,” still sounds poignant years later and is a perfect fit for Truth. On “I Don’t Wanna”, he documents the ills of the society even though he doesn’t want to. The strings, the voice and message are powerful but the song would have been served better with a bridge in place of Naeto C’s guest verse. The official third single “Osima Gbomi” is a strong contender for the disc’s best song.

He addresses critics, naysayers and other obstacles, boldly declaring that regardless of what happens you will still hear him (the translation of osima gbomi). When he hits the high notes at the end, it’s a wrap! You have a bona fide hit on your hands.

Labour of love

He addresses both sides of infidelity, first calling her out on the jam session, “Just Fine” and then himself on the vulnerable and impressive “Kinimatise”, barring the questionable intro, though. On “Believe”, he takes off his cool to plead with a love interest. He comically but (no pun intended) believably attests, “Won le pe mi lode/je ko pe mi ni mumu/I don’t care/if you’re not here”, which means you can call him a fool but he could care less.

The Guitar Man comes out to play for real on “Ur Loving” where he is likely to strum any object of his desire into submission. It is a mellow but confident stance taken by a man who knows what he wants plus how to get it. Stepping out of his mellow haven, however, the slender string man shows that there is a mack daddy hidden inside on the Sauce Kid assisted “Wettin U Say?” GT’s surprise machismo merged with Kid’s ‘sinzu’ and DNM’s electro-pop back beat creates a dance floor treat. The Kehinde DaCosta penned “Just Anything” is the sole writing concession on this set but GT interprets the award-winning writer’s contribution like a seasoned pro.

Truthfully speaking

It’s rare these days to let an entire album play uninterrupted. Wrapping up slightly under an hour, these 14 tracks will keep you listening and appreciating good music. The years of grooming under Storm have definitely paid off as this young man has exceeded expectations. Writing all but one track, you get a one on one with a patient observer that is blessed with raw talent. However, some of the lyrics suggest there’s still some room to grow as a writer. Also, on a number of tracks, the Guitar Man goes A.W.O.L but GT, the singer man, does enough to make you survive his absence. His voice texture has a captivating tinge that seizes your attention. It’s like a ménage-a-trois with the music and your eardrums. Girls will love it, guys will use it to get the girls and older folk will appreciate it.

Truthfully, there isn’t much wrong with The Truth. It is a solid album delivered by a talented young man. Even the ill-fitting “Maga” is highly enjoyable. Losing a lot of data and having to re-record tracks possibly heightened his determination. Supervising producer DMM’s precise recreation of original Tee-Y Mix and Xella material helped GT weather the storm. Like the closing track tells it, “no be how far but how well” and GT the Guitar Man does it so well that this is easily the best album to ever come out of the Storm building. And that’s The Truth.

Grade: A2

Some of his songs: Wetin you say and Osima Gbomi