Through Clarity Gregory Stanton aka Guess Pre reveals his deepest emotional state which represents an intense musical experience. The La Crosse, Wisconsin rapper presents his latest work as a profound musical tribute to his sobriety journey through the examination of both his self-doubts and individual development. Broken Wrist Records published Clarity on January 31st 2025 which emerges as a nine-track musical collection featuring atmospheric beats and a fusion of hip-hop and soul with occasional EDM elements.
The artistic development of Guess Pre spans from nostalgic introspection in Aardvark to punk-rock fused with EDM and lyrical rap elements on Earlie Goodbye. Recorded within Guess Pre’s studio in La Crosse the album received mixed engineering from Grimrose and final mastering from Lia Kahn enhancing the album’s close personal connection to its recording site.
The album cannot be classified as a traditional redemption tale. Large actions and dramatic changes do not define clearness. The album reveals itself through subtle moments which emerge during late-night drives before you gradually free yourself from the remnants of your past.
Guess Pre’s Clarity album came out on January 31, 2025 through Broken Wrist Records during an important period of his career. The rapper producer songwriter has labored for multiple years while merging his signature sound from hip-hop and R&B together with alternative and electronic tones. But this album feels different. The music contains an urgent tone because Guess Pre seems to aim to demonstrate his abilities rather than impress the industry professionals.
Guess Pre shared during his current interview that he spent each night outside making poor decisions and engaging in worthless activities. To focus my mind I dedicated all my efforts toward making this album.
The completely genuine approach penetrates every song on the album. Clarity presents an album where listeners encounter both individual self-examination and the purposely melancholic comic style in multiple songs.
Track-by-Track Breakdown
“I’m Not Peter Pan, You Are” (3:16)
The song starts with dreamlike atmospheric beats but Guess Pre demonstrating clear awareness and sharpness throughout the track. Escapism stands as the main subject of this song as it presents the refusal to mature when the world continues to advance. The song introduces a perfect gateway into an album dedicated to examining personal development.
“Aardvark” (3:04)
The left-field highlight delivers both an unusual title and an unusual rhythm pattern. The song’s lyrical content adopts surrealistic and absurdist themes to depict searching for meaning in a chaotic world through an entirely metaphorical process.
“Night Shift” (4:03)
This one hits hard. The musical dimension of “Night Shift” through its late-night lo-fi beat combines with soul-searching words to create an appropriate anthem for those who cannot sleep or think too much at night. The weight of this story emerges through Guess Pre’s descriptions of endless nights when he gazed at the ceiling while pondering what led to ruin and his unresolved future.
“WinterRain (Hang Around)” (3:40)
The song features the record’s most melodic composition through its combination of cold electronics with the warming layered singing. This song depicts a strife between loneliness and intimacy which manifests through opposing representations of “winter rain” coldness and the urgent invitation to “hang around.”
“Clarity” (2:24)
The brief title track punches with full force even though its runtime is brief. Guess Pre maintains stripped-down musical elements and empty lyrics throughout this track to create space for emotional growth. This song provides the awareness moment coupled with the settling down point after all the chaos.
“High Drama” (4:49)
The theatrical peak of the album arrives through “High Drama” which serves as a complete sonic eruption. The musical elements of deep bass, emotional strings and continuous singing pattern create a track which feels like watching a blockbuster’s final dramatic scene. Music becomes disorderly throughout the song since the elements resemble unpredictable romantic situations.
“Bittersweet” (2:07)
Among the entirety of the album “Bittersweet” maintains its status as the shortest composition despite delivering an emotional journey. Within Clarity the song “Bittersweet” takes place near the album’s emotional midpoint. The song serves as an homage to both happy and painful memories of the past.
“A Jedi Song (Take a Mile)” (2:23)
A surprisingly playful moment on an otherwise introspective album. In his song Guess Pre includes Star Wars references that extend beyond entertainment value to illustrate his inner conflict between opposing forces of light and dark.
“Earlie Goodbye” (2:13)
The closer is a gut punch. What object does the speaker intend to farewell within the poem “Earlie Goodbye”? The past? Bad habits? The people he used to know? Maybe all of the above. This conclusion serves as a beautiful closure since it produces melancholy feelings while keeping minor traces of anticipation.
The remarkable writing of Guess Pro becomes the main event yet the music production attains its share of recognition. The musical spectrum jumps from melancholic late-night atmospheres to energetic bouncy scenes which prevents the album from getting boring. Guess Pre deliberately keeps his mixtures unrefined as the production does not aim for complete polish or perfection. Clarity’s rough vocal quality enhances the album by creating a personal atmosphere more than professional studio production.
This DIY aesthetic isn’t accidental. The production of this album took place in Wisconsin’s La Crosse and Lia Kahn took care of final production in Colorado’s Denver. The project receives its movement from the multidirectional collaboration between artists across regions which mirrors Guess Pre’s life evolution.
The streaming music age finds Clarity refreshing since many albums fill their tracks with fluff while maintaining excess production and substantial extenders. The project remains purposeful while carrying an emotional core that feels very intimate. Through Clarity Guess Pre delivers a real-time document of his life stages which grants his audience supreme access to his journey of development.
The absence of attention-grabbing features and hit songs is not a problem for this album because it stands alone without needing anything extra. Through natural word-of-mouth evolution Clarity draws audiences who appreciate listening to the album while wearing headphones at night and building personal connections with its music beyond the last note.
Fans interested in introspective hip-hop alternative R&B as well as narrative-driven music should listen to Clarity. This album does not present perfection but it follows the continuous journey of personal development. Most genuine has been what Guess Pre has produced thus far in this journey with Clarity.
Guess Pre merges different musical genres into its style. The album which holds its origins in hip-hop includes neo-soul along with retro soul as well as alternative rap elements. Throughout his delivery he occasionally pulls from hip-hop artists like André 3000 and Isaiah Rashad yet the effect never resembles plagiarism. His musical signature emerges in an original way that distinguishes him from other artists.
