Caleb Lodish, An Evening Into Sweet Despair

(Self-released, digital)

Burlington Technical Center’s Digital Media Lab is meant to springboard high school students into their future careers, in fields such as filmmaking, audio engineering, photography and the graphic arts. Helmed by polymath Jason Raymond, the program is also an artistic incubator, a digital salon where Queen City-area youths can thrive and collaborate.

It’s where producer Caleb Lodish “made so, so, so many connections,” as he told the Vermont Hip Hop website in 2023. Many of those artists appeared on his 2023 album, I Expect Nothing in Return, which Seven Days placed in its top records of the year.

Now a student at New York’s Hofstra University, Lodish maintains his Vermont ties throughout his newest release, An Evening Into Sweet Despair. Several voices that appeared on his 2023 album return, such as those of rappers Ranch God, Pleasant Boys and Bilé.

With only a few years of playing saxophone in his school band, Lodish did not have an extensive musical background before teaching himself to produce and make beats. But his growth has been exponential, rising from “terrible” GarageBand beats (as he told Vermont Hip Hop) to the scintillating and varied sounds heard on An Evening Into Sweet Despair.

One of the best things about producer-led records is their diversity. Each feature has its own perspective, so it’s the producer’s job to make everything gel. Lodish leans heavily into lavish sounds such as cinematic strings, juicy bass and brash horns, amplifying the choices he made on his debut.

“AEISD Intro,” which echoes a similarly titled opener on his last effort, provides a short runway for “Irresistable.” Recalling hip-hop’s ’90s heyday, the classically attuned stunner drips with hypnotic strings and orchestral wind chimes. It implies a curtain being slowly drawn, pulling listeners into a luxurious sanctum.

Turning to smooth R&B, Lodish and guest singer Rsieh Raxan conjure vintage vibes à la Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s retro project Silk Sonic. Raxan’s vocals overlap in undulating waves while Lodish rolls out a red carpet with tinkling piano and currents of synth and strings.

“The Good Guys (Bonus)” switches to lightning funk with flourishes of flute and pulsing bass. “Starving” shifts back to luxe lounge vibes, with a sensational vocal assist from Leandra Dielle and a guest spot from smooth-talking rivan.

Lodish drops into a jazz club on “Off My Mind.” Splashy keys and hushed cymbals swirl around Kenn.’s crooning and scatting. And though it may have a perfunctory title, penultimate track “That Spanish Song Off the Project” is one of the album’s most heartfelt, with CICS cooing sweet nothings in Spanish over cascading keys and syncopated hi-hats.

Young and bursting with ideas, Lodish is on fire throughout An Evening Into Sweet Despair. Praised by many in Vermont’s music community as one to watch, Lodish proves his champions right with an exhilarating sophomore LP.

An Evening Into Sweet Despair is available on major streaming services.