By Genre: Pop
Favorite Tracks: “BODY,” “RIGHTBACK,” “DOG”
Take a journey through the void that most people encounter at some point now in their lives: an overwhelming cloudiness of depression. Jack Rutter, better known under the moniker Ritt Momney, explores exactly this on his third studio album, BASE.
The 12-track album traces an arc of self-doubt, hyper-awareness, and the fear of letting others down. But the most important aspect is the fear of change—this is your warning that if you don’t want to be wisped away into a thought-provoking cycle, constantly asking yourself, “Why am I the way that I am?,” then right now may not be the time to listen. But if you’re within yourself to answer questions of self-doubt and criticism, BASE is for you.
The word “change” appears on exactly half of the tracks, grounding the album in the idea that, during a spell of depression, you have a competing fear of evolution. You can hear the progression of his relationship with change throughout the album, starting on the opening title track with the lyrics, “Always changing on the base of me,” establishing that change in his life is a constant. “GUNNA” kicks off with the lines, “Right when I beat this game / I’m gonna change my life.” This yearning for change in a deep-rooted depression shows Rutter’s desire to move forward, just too stuck to do so. On “DOG,” he details in his lyrics, “We’re not changing it up / We’re not changing around”; though he previously yearned for this change, he just can’t do it where he’s currently at mentally. In “THE TANK,” the turning point, Rutter comes to terms with how “future plans are changing every day.”
Not only does the title refer to a person as a foundation, it also nods to the bass that carries the album—leaning into a crunchier production, he continues to explore Ritt Momney’s signature, low-end-heavy sound throughout. But by the final track, “LOVE AROUND YOU,” that sound reveals the warm feeling of sun hitting your face after a harsh winter. Rutter took a leap this time, writing about and sonically expressing something people usually try to sweep under the rug in everyday life. BASE captures the weight of sharing those feelings of defeat, desire, and defiance. It reminds you that, no matter your foundation, the change will carry you to where you need to be.
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