IMC Listening guide

Best weather to enjoy this song

Sunny day

Best time to listen

Dusk reflections

Best place to listen

On the road, At home

Does this song haunt the silence?

Melody lingers

Goosebumps scale

Chills guaranteed

Our thoughts

Superstition doesn’t seem to matter much to Raze Michael. Thirteen songs made it onto his new album, released on October 10, and he didn’t think twice about it. Some would have stopped at twelve, just in case. Not him. He went all in, and we truly think it paid off. Right from the first seconds of “freckled n flushed”, featuring OGB, you know it’s going to be something special. The mix of strings, voices, and soft beats feels smooth and honest. It doesn’t try to impress you. But it just sounds good, like it came straight from the heart! You can really feel it.

Then it keeps going naturally. One song after another, different moods, different colors, but it all feels connected. Fans of indie pop will have a great time with huge bangers like “neptune” and “rockn roll it”, both full of energy and catchy in all the right ways. But the rest of the album goes into a more RnB atmosphere, warm and rich, with a bunch of collaborations that each bring their own flavor. Every guest fits perfectly, no one feels out of place.

What makes this album being brilliant is the feeling behind it. It’s bright, it's full of life, even when the lyrics talk about breakups or things that didn’t go as planned. Raze Michael turns old wounds into something beautiful. The way he talks about love, loss, and finding peace again makes you feel like he’s sitting next to you, telling his story. There’s nothing fancy in the way he says it. But you'll find plain truth here, the kind that takes you because it’s real.

He doesn’t hide behind effects or metaphors. The production is clean but not sterile, and the songs breathe. You can feel that the people behind this project actually care about what they’re making. Every little sound, every layer has its place, and that attention makes a big difference.

The album also has some nice surprises. “things you wouldn’t say”, featuring rapper Shaudie Man, stands out right away. It’s playful and bold, mixing indie pop and rap in a way that just works. To be honest, this is the first time we’ve ever featured a track with rap on Indie Music Center. It’s not something we usually do, but this one was impossible to ignore. The quality is there, and it fits the spirit of what we do: discovering artists who make music that feels honest.

Another gem is “where you go”. It has that nostalgic side of a song you’ve known forever, even if you just heard it. And there's a reason for that. It sat for years on a hard drive before finally finding its place on this record, and you can tell it means something to him. It feels like closing a loop, or like finishing a sentence that was left hanging for a bit too long.

The whole thing runs a bit over forty minutes, but dang, it goes by fast! Each song adds something, and before you know it, you’ve listened to the entire album without skipping a track. That doesn’t happen often. When it’s over, you just want to hit play again. Oh no, not really because you missed something, but because it feels good to stay in that world a bit longer.

In the end, “i can’t wait to know you, always” is an album about love, in all the ways it changes us. The kind that lifts you, breaks you, and teaches you something new every time. Raze Michael doesn’t preach, but shares what he’s learned and brilliantly and smartly because there’s no bitterness, no regrets, just growth and clarity.

This album is out of our usual comfort zone but we felt comfortable while reviewing it! It’s simply good music made by someone who’s got something to say. And says it with honesty.

Reach out to Rize Michael

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