“…My image is the name I was given on arrival.”

Sage Elsesser fully harvests the essence of his soul by showing the listener his memories, meditations, and recent lessons on his new Navy Blue album, The Sword & The Soaring . The album starts with a guiding wind that leads you throughout the various scenes of Sage. Sometimes the message appears as a family of trees with each verse as its own leaf, other times the scene could be interpreted as an isolated cabin in a massive field in late-fall Europe. In “Tale of Truth”, the picture appears as a garden. Towards the end, you might imagine a giant sphere of water the size of a planet. On “The Phoenix”, the embers release a glow of mist under the coal. One of the most powerful proclamations he makes on the album, “I am Sage” feels like it could come with an added weight to it. Yet, his peaceful delivery embraces the moment and grounds the listener. While he continues his journey of reflection, refinement, and rebirth, Sage showcases his unique ability to pull the sword from the stone and reach new heights on The Sword & The Soaring .

“This life is so beautiful I cry when I feel it.”