Local Review: Socrates, Plato — Aristotle

Socrates, Plato
Aristotle
Self-Released
Street: 05.08.2025
Socrates, Plato = Elliott Smith + The Decemberists

The advent of AI has empowered anyone with computer access to ladle up an ocean of palatable, but soulless, earslop without even breaking a sweat. With a simple request, you can now prompt the electronic genie whose bottle we’ve collectively rubbed to parrot legends like Ella Fitzgerald, John Lennon and Freddie Mercury and make it sing you a new song that sounds eerily like the genuine article — ethics be damned. Against a growing backdrop of amateur “musicians” making this Faustian bargain with the tools of our technofascist regime, it brings me genuine solace to hear from a young guy with nothing but a guitar and a dream who’s still out there doing the damn thing. That’s exactly what’s captured on Aristotle. 

This album is the debut release from local artist Kaleb Phillips under the alias Socrates, Plato. Phillips singlehandedly recorded and produced the whole shebang in his bedroom, so the eight-track LP is absolutely brimming with DIY quirks (murky vocal mixing, a prominent noise floor and takes any producer would lock you in the sound booth until you retook). However, these blemishes add an authentic charm that makes the record feel amiable and even ballsy. It takes guts to put something this honest and unpolished out into the world. 

Per indie singer/songwriter convention, Aristotle opens with a brief ambient track aptly named “Voices and Chimes,” which sounds like a dinner party being held inside a giant pinball machine. Then the music begins with the second track, “Death of Marty,” on which Phillips forlornly harmonizes with himself about how difficult it is to hold true to your principles in a world that always breaks people of principle. The poignant lyrics “Death of a martyr / who never got his fill / blown to the hay bales / his spirit lives on still to mourn you / he’s warning you” set a somber mood that is accentuated by mournful guitar chords. This wistful vibe carries through the remainder of the record’s 17-minute runtime. If Aristotle is about any one thing, it’s the ineffable melancholy of everyday living. 

The rest of the album follows a similar formula: barebones guitar strumming, sincere crooning (except on instrumental tracks like “Company Mandated Deep Breath”) and prosaic lyrics about things like a kid at the dentist, getting caught in the moonlight and the secrets of poets. There are also several references to literary works throughout the album, like the Death of a Salesman line in “Death of Marty” and the mention of Leaves of Grass in “Wearing a Coat that Isn’t Warm Enough.” This sprinkling of allusion gives Aristotle that bookish zest that an indie record tastes just a little bland without. 

All of this pensive lyricism and minimalist guitar playing come to a high point on the album’s penultimate track, “Dear Dottie, I miss you.” Here, Phillips sings about someone he’s lost and can only know through video recordings of things they’ve said and done. What sets this track apart is the chorus when Phillips earnestly belts out, “I don’t want to be left alone here / I don’t want to figure it out / I don’t want to take what’s given / I don’t want to figure it out.” The plaintive melody of these lines paired with the vigorous strumming of Phillips’ guitar evokes Eddie Vedder’s acoustic work, and it’s a genuinely beautiful ballad of loss.

It’s also worth noting that Phillips was only 17 years old when he recorded and released Aristotle. That’s a courageous labor of love for just one guy whose graduation cap is still warm. In the words of the prophets, “The kids are alright.” Aristotle is now available on most streaming platforms. Go give it a listen if the algorithmic treadmill has left you hungry for something with more human heart than digital gloss. —Joe Roberts

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