Album Review | ‘Can I Be Honest… ?’ by Zee Machine
Zee Machine’s latest venture burns with desire against a bevy of addictive ’80s-influenced jams.
Joe Bissell, known creatively as Zee Machine, epitomizes the strength of overcoming personal struggles. Their sobriety from a spiraling drug addiction allowed for not only a flood of creativity but also freedom of expression surrounding their sexuality and gender identity. Since their debut EP, Brainchemistry, in 2018, they have constantly kept the ball rolling with numerous one-off releases. Six years since their last EP, we finally get a full-length album displaying the growth of Bissell’s talents and flirtation with 80s flair. The project is a testament to their skill at crafting catchy melodies. Joe’s passionate vocals hold tightly to feelings of heartbreak, loneliness, and desire throughout the album’s seven-song tracklist.
Joe hits the ground running, giving us a strong hook from the get-go on “I’m In Love (With Everyone).” We’re tickled with a delightful fizz of bubbling beats that energize the sweet taste of the synth lead. Our need for love just can’t be satiated by one man, leading to a trail of heartbreak that we wish we could put a stop to: “White lies/ Gaslight/ Realize/ Maybe I deserve what goes around/ Comes around/ Next time, you’ll listen if I warn you/ I’m in love with everyone I meet but it’s never enough/ Like you’re the one/ Overdosing on you, don’t wake me up, no/ Weighed down the moment I sober up.” Bissell adds just the right amount of coy sexuality to give an allure to his flirtation. It’s an extremely catchy start to this project.
We dial up the heat with an ode to sexual pleasure in “Good Boy.” Rolling forward like a Corvette on the highway, the rhythmic beats channel us closer and closer to glamorous release in the chorus. Bissell praises his lover’s ability to take him to carnal bliss, “So gimme a one way ticket to the back of the wall/ Are you feeling me now? / I’m making your eyes roll back so you’ll answer my call/ Baby say it out loud/ Being such a good boy for me now.” Its cheeky nod to gay sex walks the line of an explicit affair. It’s always nice to see more queer representations of sexual subject matter. Bissell’s charisma is the final ingredient that will get you coming back for more.
Bissell tries their best to suppress the sting of heartache in the aptly titled “Heartbreakery.” Joe decorates the soundscape with glossy synths and ringing guitars, which add a delightful splash of color to their passionate performance. We are left with the searing pain of being cast aside as only a mere fling when we are led to believe this relationship was something more, “Take it like a rockstar/ Take it like a man/ Crazy how it got so far from where we began/ Far from the answer in somebody’s son/ Shame I wasn’t made for more than hit it and run.” Bissell evokes this devastation excellently.
Joe calls in tour mate and fellow queer pop star Bentley Robles in the absolutely kinetic “Anyone But Him.” Bissell’s 80s pastiche is given freshness through the glamorous pulsing beat that underlies it. All of this energy funnels into the covetous desire they desperately seek to break. You feel the sharp jab of jealousy bring you to your knees watching an ex share the intimacy you miss most, “I wouldn’t care who’s in the mirror on your ceiling/ Giving your love to someone new every night/ You could go down on anybody you’re feeling/ You can be with anyone, any time/ Anywhere, I don’t mind/ Anyone but him.” Robles and Bissell play to this sense of envy and longing powerfully. On my first listen, I was immediately hooked in by how everything comes together. It’s easily my favorite from this project.
We switch pace into a softer light as we accept that our ex is better off without us in “Worse.” Cascading sheets of beaming synth pads rain over us as the drama is brought out through soaring electric guitar. All of this shines a spotlight on Joe’s defeated figure reminiscing on how things went sour. The pang of longing is subdued by the realization that together they only bring the worst out in each other, “You don’t really wanna stay with me/ The rest of your life/ Getting any kind of close to me/ You’re wasting your time/ But baby if you’re there watching me/ Give me a sign/ God, I wish that I could hate you/ But I know that you’re worse when you’re mine.” This is more pop-rock-oriented than some of the prior tracks. If you were a fan of the bright, large sound of Rina Sawayama’s “Hurricanes,” then I highly recommend you give this a listen as navigate similar territories sonically.
“Killshot” is the most kinetic piece on this project. Joe’s vocals cut through the fury of guitars and abrasive synths that merge into a cyclone of sound. The anger that has built up has us ready to destroy all traces of our ex that are left behind, “I want to put you through hell/ I don’t wish you well/ Like I never met you/ I wanna rip up your face/ Photos all erased/ Think that I regret you… cause I’m over feeling bad/ Hope that I upset you.” There’s a confidence burning underneath this resentment, praying your ex will see just how happy you are now that they’re gone. Compared to the more synth-pop-oriented offering that makes up the rest of this album, the dance-pop sound on this track feels a bit out of place.
Bissell wraps up the album, hoping his ex hears the pain and desire that still burns for them in “The Radio.” Their regret pours forth as they hope that maybe this song will finally bring them the closure they deserve, “You know I can be selfish/ You know I can be cruel You know I keep you close enough to face you/ So let me follow through/ I′m hoping when you drive/ I’m on the radio/ You′ll hear me singing and you’ll know that it’s about you/ Hopelessly on my mind/ Try to forget the night/ That I never got to say goodbye.” Joe elicits pained longing masterfully throughout his performance. I love how the dramatic rush of synth-pop rains over us like the tears shed over our lack of closure.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of throwback synth-pop jams with a modern flair. It’s always a treat to hear more queer-oriented music that unapologetically displays its sexual side. My favorite song, hands down, is the collaboration Zee Machine and Bentley Robles did on “Anyone But Him.” Joe has quite the knack for catchy hooks as tracks like “I’m In Love (With Everyone)” and “Good Boy” will easily be stuck in your head after the first listen. I did feel that “Killshot” didn’t quite match the sonic palette that makes up the rest of the project. All in all, I am extremely pleased with Zee Machine’s latest release. I hope this energy is channeled into the next project they release.
My overall thoughts on Can I Be Honest… ?:
Loved it: “I’m In Love (With Everyone)”, “Good Boy”, “Heartbreakery”, “Anyone But Him” (feat. Bentley Robles) & “The Radio”
Liked it: “Worse”
Disliked it: “Killshot”
My overall rating: 8.0 out of 10.
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