Izzy Heltai -- mostly myself again

mostly myself again, the new EP from Izzy Heltai, finds the singer-songwriter paralyzed at the crossroads. Just as lockdown ended and Heltai was preparing to tour, he injured his foot and broke up with his girlfriend and found himself back home with his mom. mostly myself again is a four-song postcard of a moment in enforced stasis — after many moments of stasis — and pondering what it means to grow up.

This is no idle question. Heltai is trans, and writes that there is a parallel universe where he never became an adult. With few trans adult role models in the world, and now a role model himself, Heltai wonders aloud what his future might look like, and what it means to represent the future to others.

The songs here have a conversational nature, unraveled with a cool detachment and prose-y lyrics that I’ve noticed are increasingly common among Gen Z singer-songwriters, particularly queer ones — let’s call it the boygenius Effect. For Heltai, in spite of all the anxiety in his lyrics, there’s an irrepressible warmth. Heltai takes himself seriously, but also with a wry smile.

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