A staple on the LA music scene, darkening the doorway of legendary venues like the Whisky and the Roxy, singer, songwriter, and guitarist TJ Doyle combines his unique brand of pop music with his true passion: environmental activism. Using his new album, On the Horizon, as his musical pulpit, Doyle explores elevated themes of consciousness, responsibility, and humanism — in a surprisingly relatable and, dare I say, fun fashion.
Channeling bards like Neil Young, Doyle wastes no time with niceties, as opener “Changes” relays a meaningful message, while the heartfelt “Rosemary’s Wishes” communicates a tale of loss. But On the Horizon really hits its stride with the slightly surfy “Human,” on which Doyle steps up to, and subsequently drops, the mic about his personal perspectives with surprising optimism. But perhaps no track is more unapologetic than “We Are Here,” an anthem of community in the face of isolation (“there are so many of us who feel lost / living in the shadow of life”). It provides the perfect denouement for a truly cohesive collection of songs that, together, speak to the listener on a whole other plane than most albums these days.
As Doyle himself puts it, “Many perceived separations exist on the surface, while there is something much deeper that humans share behind the mask of consciousness.” If that sounds a bit too deep, just listen to the record.
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