After a two-year long hiatus, singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar released his fifth album, “Son of Spergy,” on Oct. 24. Named after his father, who was a gospel singer, Caesar uses subtle melodies and heart wrenching lyrics to highlight his familial ties, ideation of love and religious background.

Before the release of the full album, Caesar released the single, “Have A Baby (With Me),” where he reflects on the unrelenting grasp of a toxic relationship – begging his lover to settle with a baby in order for their lost love to be concretized. In short, this song is beautiful. The soft rasp of Caesar’s voice is invigorating yet deeply emotional. My favorite aspect of this song, and widely similar trends within the album, is the interpretation of religion that Daniel Caesar turns into art.

While Caesar openly gives thanks to God for being the creator, he also tends to question the path that God may have ordained for his life. This beautiful depiction is not only highly relatable for people who are seeking to find their faith, but it also normalizes the constant battle of confusion that may arise as life begins to test us.

The complexity of this album, battling themes of love and religion, are interchangeable, appearing together through various songs in the album. For instance, the singles “Root of all Evil” and “Touching God” are both great examples of how Caesar makes these connections. Although Caesar’s sound seems to be linear throughout each of his albums, I believe that his sultry sound serves this album well.

Overall, Caesar’s new album, “Son of Spergy,” is very well crafted and radiates artistic expression. The gap between this album and his last, “NEVER ENOUGH,” was clearly needed in order to produce such intricate work. While I do not agree with his discourses in the media over the years, I cannot deny the fact that he is a talented musician. I highly recommend listening to his album.