The complete and susceptible chronology of a transgender soul is too often implicit. It gets referenced, supported, and regularly scorned, but rarely does it get extensively animated from the perspective of someone simultaneously liberated and scarred from the transition. That narrative is where Nathan Marion Roy succeeds in capturing the shocking emotional damage he endured through his transgender journey. His debut 2018 album Flowers for Every Occasion exposes his deepest wounds through sheer necessity, outwardly unmasking the shame his supposed loved ones failed to quell while his life as Nathan finally materialized. Crushingly vivid lyrics are hard to swallow as he confesses brutal experiences like “Your friend sent you flowers. I didn’t know I passed away. I am standing right here in a shallow grave.” Though it may sound harsh, that coarse realism is something that many people with a similar story to Nathan Marion Roy can relate to.

After all is said and done, Flowers for Every Occasion paints Nathan Marion Roy as an autonomous, mentally balanced human looking to be recognized as such. Although he openly exposes his most outspoken moments of vulnerability, he still keeps his instrumental backing bright and endearing. He jokes on his Bandcamp page that “This is an album you should listen to when it’s rainy and warm outside, and you’re toggling between blasting hot and cold air to get the fog off your windshield.” That same light-hearted restlessness is what helps Nathan Marion Roy retain an empathetic charm to his devastatingly truthful account, thus connecting him with an audience that may not have heard his story otherwise.

Favorite Tracks: Deadname, Sublimate (I Want So Bad), Weeds, Easier.