Kerry Charles - It'll Be Over Soon (2025) Hi-Res

Kerry Charles returns with It’ll Be Over Soon, a mellower, more meditative collection of songs steeped in the sounds of ‘70s jazz fusion, disco, and neo soul.

While I Think of You recalled the romantic fantasies and fumblings of a man in his early twenties, It’ll Be Over Soon dwells in the quiet complaints and regrets of a man in his mid-thirties. It’s a record about the slow, surreal horror of aging—and the vices and devices we cling to as our bodies, both physical and spiritual, begin to fray. Themes of codependence, consumerism, debt, remorse, and attachment run throughout.

For all its lyrical heaviness, the music is somehow irresistibly light—sexy, even. Backed once again by a stellar lineup of musicians (including newcomers Christian Nourijanian and Nathan Pence), Charles, joined by regulars Max Cudworth, Dustin Kaufman and Clay Sears, weaves a sensual tapestry of funky licks, warm synths and hushed, intimate vocals. Also featured is keyboard wizard Jake Sherman, whose signature touch brings shimmering depth to several standout tracks.

Following his recent single “Slow Bleeding,” the LP’s title track, “It’ll Be Over Soon,” catalogs Charles’s personal accumulation of physical, emotional, and existential wear and tear—set against a hypnotic groove that channels the elegance of Sade with a touch of Japanese city pop flair.

“This whole record is a meditation on getting old,” says Charles. “It was my way of working through all my petty, first-world problems and trying to get the poison out. I’m not sure if it worked—but I love the way the songs turned out.”

In that context, the song’s refrain “It’ll be over soon” lands with ambiguity. It’s unclear whether it’s meant as a memento mori or a comforting reminder that everything—pain, shame, joy, beauty—eventually comes to pass.