Nourished By Time Triumphs On Sophomore Album The Passionate Ones
Cover of The Passionate Ones. Credit: Nourished By Time
Written by Yaw Appiah
On The Passionate Ones, Marcus Brown, known as Nourished By Time, fuses genres and eras to create groundbreaking, soulful music. The Baltimore-born artist blends electro-funk, R&B, and experimental indie pop to create a buzzword salad on paper. Each song explores themes of existentialism, love, and hope, forming a timeless project from start to finish.
Compared to Nourished By Time’s past work, The Passionate Ones is considerably more polished, featuring top-notch production by Brown. What stands out at first glance is the title of the album, which is inspired by Brown’s journey of feeling burnt out working different jobs to pursuing music full-time as a creative outlet.
The Passionate Ones is much more layered than an alternative indie dance album in terms of genre. There are huge R&B influences in song structure as well as a romantic slow-jam vibe in certain songs. The dance classification stems from the bouncy beat on most songs, specifically, the Baltimore Club influence on “9 2 5.” There are also Hip-Hop flows that were inspired by Outkast, with clear post-punk influences in both the experimental production and intellectual songwriting.
The LP takes fans on a joyride filled with a mixture of hazy synths, pounding drums, and touching lyrics. The album opens with “Automatic Love,” a groovy ballad that radiates passionate obsession. Brown is also a little vulnerable on this song, as he yearns for his lover, hoping his feelings are not unrequited. Brown’s ability to reveal himself in this album and be vulnerable to a large audience is admirable, and it helps elevate the songwriting.
In 2019, Brown left Los Angeles after struggling for two years to make a living while also pursuing music. He felt trapped in the rat race, working many different jobs as a construction worker and a barber. Brown moved back home and decided to give music his undivided attention.
The Passionate Ones is a reflection of his journey of breaking away from the “system” and using their passion as fuel. On “BABY BABY,” listeners can see this idea: “Low on money, quite high on passion / Look at I made true, little bit of fame too.”
His message morphs into a call to action on “It’s Time” for the listener to take a similar leap that Brown did: “I busted myself out of a mental prison / In this, you must make decisions,” and “We don’t have to be so average / And I say that with love.”
Brown continues the theme of breaking away from monotonous, draining work in favor of pursuing one’s passions in the song “9 2 5.” Brown creates a character who is based on their past and current mindset. The subject of the song works long hours at a restaurant during the day while writing love songs at night, leading to a feeling of unfulfillment. Despite this, hope is still present. “He’s freaking the nine-to-five / He won’t let the dreamer die,” Brown proclaims on the song.
Considering the depth and musical prowess shown in The Passionate Ones, the sky’s the limit for Nourished By Time. It’s safe to assume that whatever music Brown is working on currently will not only catapult them further into stardom but also feature his signature blend of diverse musical instruments and profound songwriting that sets Brown apart from other artists.
Find more on Nourished By Time here.