Lilacs EP, by Jimmy Kraft

Lilacs EP

by Jimmy Kraft

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1.	Stonefruit 05:48	lyrics	buy track
Wanna taste that peach? That one way up there? It knows it’s out of your reach And it ain’t fair, but it don’t care Cause baby it’s a stonefruit Soft and sweet on the outside Oh, it may be lush to the touch but don’t you dig too deep Cause baby with a stonefruit Once you get to the inside Oh, it’s just a poison pit So boy, just quit while you’re ahead And get with me instead Can’t deny it’ll please the eye Titillate the tongue But if you want it all Oh, you gotta swallow that hard rock heart, that lumpy lung So think twice before you bite Cause baby it’s a stonefruit Soft and sweet on the outside Oh, it may be lush to the touch but don’t you dig too deep Cause baby with a stonefruit Once you get to the inside Oh, it’s just a poison pit So boy, just quit while you’re ahead And get with me instead What turned your heart to stone? Wonder why you’re lovely yet alone? Well, it’s no one’s fault except your own Go ahead, have your fill As long as you know When sweetness ends, as sweetness will And all that’s left’s a bitter told-you-so Don’t come crying to me ‘Cause you see You ain’t ever gonna be sated in your soul So my dear Save yourself the trouble and the tears And the ultimately unfulfilling years And don’t say I didn’t warn you No, don’t say I didn’t warn you About a stonefruit Soft and sweet on the outside Oh, it may be lush to the touch but don’t you dig too deep Cause baby with a stonefruit Once you get to the inside Oh, it’s just a poison pit So avoid that shit And quit while you’re ahead And get with me instead
2.	Lilacs 06:01	lyrics	buy track
Fragrant sting of signaled spring A tune you lost but loved to sing When now was then And if you see that song in me Let silence hold your elegy Until it’s time to love again And i’ll meet you where the lilacs bloom Lay down your lilies Once your eyes have dried A new bouquet’s round the corner In the meantime Aromas scheme to fill the stream For glassy eyes too bruised to dream For dreaming hurts When every scent means hours spent Wondering where the feelings went And what they meant, and who was first And what if you saw a lilac bloom? Lay down your lilies Once your eyes have dried A new bouquet’s round the corner In the meantime I’ll be patient, don’t you worry Worst thing you could do Is hurry into loving someone new Oh, the seasons change and so will you And maybe soon, you’ll let a lilac bloom
3.	Sweet Pea 04:17	lyrics	buy track
There’s a certain special something to her That you won’t find in many other Girls in the world today It’s hard to put to words but it makes me sure She’ll find her way Confidentially she’s scared like us all But on the surface is a stone wall Grinning, bearing, getting by And holding on until the day her smile Isn’t just another lie Go on sweet pea, it’s all in your able hands Nothing that you can do, don’t you understand Keep your head toward future opportunity And don’t forget just how much you mean to me While you’re gone There’s a certain shimmer there in her eye You’ll barely notice as you pass by But it speaks loud and clear And it says, “look out, lemme tell you why Ain’t no room for your rules here” Simultaneously she’ll put you at ease A silly smile and a little tease And she’s friends with the world You will learn a thing or two about love From living with this girl Go on sweet pea, it’s all in your able hands Nothing that you can do, don’t you understand Keep your head toward future opportunity And don’t forget just how much you mean to me While you’re gone While you’re gone, we’ll be here Far away but always near Even though you’re on your own You don’t have to feel alone No you’ll never be alone Sweet pea, there a long road ahead But if you heard a word that I said Then I think that you’ll see You deserve to take some pride In how proud you’ve made me Go on sweet pea, it’s all in your able hands Nothing that you can do, don’t you understand Keep your head toward future opportunity And don’t forget just how much you mean to me While you’re gone

about

Every track on the EP gets its name from a different plant, each with its own distinct symbolism and my unique interpretation based on personal experiences. I’m fascinated by the way that language absorbs components of a culture’s surroundings, and since most civilizations have been surrounded by plants for millennia, we've developed strong conceptual associations between them our uniquely human experiences. In this project, my love of linguistic devices has taken on a decidedly floral persona.

“Stonefruit” alternates between sultry/soulful and angsty/funky to depict a character that understands the draw of beauty but is fed up with being overlooked by suitors with unattainable standards. Two horn solos respectively parallel the speaker’s solemn struggle and the flash of his alluring opponents, and a lively chorus pleads with increasing intensity for a change of heart and a chance at love.

“Lilacs” is a letter from new love to a freshly broken heart, and it tells its poignant tale through lush orchestration and a patient but determined build throughout. This mildly soulful 6/8 ballad culminates in a resplendent bridge and an explosive piano solo, then brings us back to its mellow beginnings as we gaze forward into the prospect of love. “Lilacs” is the most metaphorically evocative tune on the EP, and it’s the most poignantly personal of the three—it was born from heartbreak, so it’s the moment on the project in which my soul is laid most bare. It also paints a very nuanced picture of love: it is something that can heal and hurt (often simultaneously), and though it’s longed for, it’s not always something we’re ready for. The vulnerability of this tune and the depth of its portrayal of love have earned it its role as the title track.

“Sweet Pea” is bursting with vital familial love, and its vibrant samba-esque energy is a celebration of the beauty and power of love in all forms. The boisterous horn arrangements, virtuosic saxophone solo, and downright raucous finale all contribute to this veritable palooza of love and its ability to lift us up against all odds.

credits

released November 5, 2021

All vocals: Jimmy Kraft

Piano: Javier Santiago
Bass: Giulio Xavier Cetto
Drums: Michael Mitchell

Alto sax: John Palowitch
Tenor sax: Andrew Dixon
Trumpet: Dan Herrera
Trombone: Rob Ewing

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jeff Kolhede at 25th St. Studios

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about

Jimmy Kraft California

Jimmy Kraft synthesizes a wealth of musical influences into the sweetest intersection of harmonic intricacy, rhythmic intrigue, buttery vocals, and poignant lyricism. His credentials in jazz and composition have merged with his love of neosoul, Impressionism, chamber music, and poetry to create a sound that is uniquely his. Jimmy lives, performs, and teaches in San Francisco and the SF Bay Area. ... more