Infused with a diverse range of influences spanning anywhere from Mariachi music to Hard Rock, Luis Cano’s music aims to resonate with a soulful blend of a crooner’s sound with the authentic Mariachi style. Some may even quip that this new sound is the perfect blend of Mariachi, Country and other associated genres, guided by an insatiable curiosity and a desire to craft an authentic sound.

This has all culminated in his debut album, titled Ahora Van Las Mias! (translated to It’s My Turn Now) In which he’s made history as the first solo artist to produce a full-length English Mariachi album.

The album definitely presents itself as virtuoso reimaginings of songs that should be known to most, classics such as ‘Georgia On My Mind’, ‘Fly Me To The Moon’, ‘All of Me’ and ‘How Deep Is Your Love’. The instrumentation takes the structure of these songs and puts them within the headspace of Mariachi cross-genre interpretations, with a very high standard in terms of arrangement as well as mastering. Luis Cano’s voice shines in every track within the album, with a smooth croon that’s expected, but also, an extremely clean tone when it comes to his vocals. This makes it where it’s honestly a delight to listen to any phrase or melody he sings.

The fusion of genres and the time period of the songs within this album actually takes me back to a lot of vintage Malay and Filipino songs made in the 60s. They too, had the shared vision of taking the slight jazz influence of pure ‘easy listening’ songs and adding their own native spin to it. The accordion would be ascribed to Malay musical traditions, and the horns reminiscent of the Filipino take on it- which has similarities to the music of Mexico as well, due to shared colonization and frankly, the talent of each of their natives.

In some instances, the tracks within this release take on a slight surf-rock and jazz infusion ala P. Ramlee, with songs like ‘Neon Moon’ and ‘Save The Last Dance For Me’. As much as this is an innovative release, I think it’s a beautiful testament to history, and this is coming from someone who typically has disdain for acts that borrow too heavily from the past. Luis Cano’s artistry shines beyond any time-categorization.

There are also some Spanish-medium songs such as ‘A Mi Manera’ and ‘La Mia Via’, which I truly enjoy. Hearing Luis’ voice in these tracks provides the listener with an authentic and beautiful experience, as his voice transforms- this time, with a warmer croon, one closer to the heart. In an interesting turn of events, he also attempts to tackle on the Japanese version of the Sinatra hit ‘My Way’… and he still excels at singing the lyrics. Luis Cano is truly a multifaceted musician.

I don’t hear any flaws with this release, honestly. It was very well done and superbly arranged, with lots of character and beauty within the vocals and song choices. It sounded authentic and competent. Well done.

SCORE/Outstanding: For a debut album, Ahora Van Las Mias exceeded my expectations with wonderful vocal work on the artist’s end and wonderful renditions of well-known and slightly more obscure songs. It is a step ahead in the world of ‘world fusion’ genres, exposing an audience to a non-Anglocentric music world with class and expertise.

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The opening track, The Journey Begins, sets the tone immediately. A faint siren-like call fades in, followed by a pulsing, suspenseful beat that makes you lean forward in anticipation. Strings and guitar intertwine, building into an emotional crest where each instrument is impeccably balanced in the mix. The arrangement feels like the first steps of a fantasy adventure, with the grandeur of a Tolkien march and the intimacy of solo instrumental spotlights. The trumpet’s closing lines are particularly striking, lending a sense of poignancy to an otherwise adventurous opening.

Which Way to Go shifts the album. The piano leads with emotional clarity, supported by lush orchestration that recalls the sweeping romanticism of How to Train Your Dragon. This is music that doesn’t need words to express hope and anticipation. The musicianship is exceptional, with every dynamic rise and fall handled with care. There is a tenderness here, a sweet and reflective moment before the next stage of the journey.

With Sizzling Sand, the tone turns confident and celebratory. The piece begins with a sly playfulness, then swells into something reminiscent of a patriotic victory march. Strings weave a story of movement and travel, underpinned by a sense of pride and resolution. Layer by layer, instruments build toward a triumphant close, each fade-out allowing you to appreciate the craftsmanship behind the orchestration.

Search On brings a more nuanced emotional progression. Starting with a wistful piano and violin, it gradually layers brighter tones until a saxophone takes center stage with a passionate, almost cheeky assurance. The track carries an air of sophistication, evoking a black-tie gala or the suave coolness of a James Bond scene. It’s playful yet driven, and the production keeps every detail crisp and clear.

In As Colours Fade, Eisenberg explores serenity and reflection. A tender piano introduction is joined by airy woodwinds, painting an image of sunsets over rolling hills. The music swells with quiet triumph, never losing its sense of intimacy. The arrangement is carefully paced, with builds and drops that keep the listener engaged while maintaining a warm, glowing tone.

Lost in Darkness is the album’s most foreboding moment. Deep, resonant tones and a steady, heavy rhythm create an oppressive atmosphere. This is victory of a different kind, one that feels tinged with danger or even villainy. The piano provides glimmers of melancholy, giving the track a layered emotional weight. Every element is sharply mixed, ensuring that even in its density, the track retains clarity.

With Climb to the Top, the album returns to forward momentum. A suspenseful bass foundation gives way to a memorable, climbing melody that rises step by step, perfectly capturing the struggle and determination of ascent. The interplay between percussion, strings, and brass makes this one of the album’s most cinematic pieces, the kind you could easily imagine underscoring a pivotal film sequence.

The closing piece, The Arrival, delivers on the journey’s promise. It opens bright and celebratory, with an irresistible rhythmic pull that makes you nod along. Midway, the energy drops to a reflective hush before surging back into a full-bodied finale. The ensemble plays with perfect cohesion, and the arrangement encapsulates the joy of reaching a hard-won goal.

Throughout Castle of the Golden Sun, the production is immaculate. Every instrument has its space, the mixing allows textures to breathe, and the mastering ensures the album feels polished without losing warmth.

SCORE / Outstanding – The musicianship is world-class, and Eisenberg’s compositional voice shines through with clarity and emotional resonance. This is an album that rewards both casual listening and deep, focused immersion, offering a cinematic soundscape that is as inspiring as it is meticulously crafted.

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The production across the album is immediately impressive, especially considering Swart’s self-taught background in digital audio workstations. The sound design throughout leans heavily into synth textures, ambient layers, and spatial effects that create a dreamy, immersive quality. Vocals are often treated with generous reverb and strategic panning, making them feel both distant and deeply personal, as if overheard rather than sung directly to the listener.

Factory Reset opens the album with confidence. A firm drum pattern grounds the track, while dreamy synths swell and expand, offering a sense of elevation. The guitar enters with a transcendent tone, wrapping around the reverb-soaked vocals that feel intentionally set back in the mix, like hearing someone sing from behind a closed door. There’s a devotional undertone in the way the song builds and releases, evoking yearning rather than resolution. It’s a striking introduction.

808AVE shifts the atmosphere with the sound of sirens, immediately placing the listener in a more urban soundscape. There are strong parallels to DJO in both guitar tone and vocal delivery. The line “Sometimes I don’t feel anything” underscores a dissonance between lyrical weight and melodic lightness. It’s a great example of how MYNK uses production to blur emotional boundaries, offering a dreamy palette that doesn’t dull the song’s introspection.

Hammerhead is the funkiest moment on the album, and it wears its Prince-like swagger proudly. The bass and synth lines interact in a call-and-response fashion that’s rhythmically satisfying, while the vocal performance is more assertive. The mix is particularly sharp here, with each element occupying its own space while still contributing to a cohesive groove. The electric guitar fills, placed tastefully toward the end, tie the arrangement together without overcomplicating it.

Voided continues from the sonic residue of Hammerhead, opening with layered conversations that bleed into a steady beat. While still catchy, it’s the least impactful of the eight tracks. The vocal delivery is solid, but the instrumental lacks a hook or contrast to lift it beyond its pleasant groove. The train stop sound effect that closes it does provide a narrative transition, reinforcing the album’s sense of continuous movement.

END2END thrives on repetition and mood. The looping beat and lyrics generate a meditative rhythm that feels both hypnotic and unresolved. There’s a sadness embedded in lines like “I said that I was sorry,” and yet the production doesn’t weigh the song down. Instead, the restrained layering and echo give it a hazy sort of optimism, as though the regret still holds room for redemption.

Jackknife brings a sharper, more guitar-driven edge to the record. The synths take a back seat as a gritty, bass-heavy intro leads into pointed lyrical observations. “You think you’re in some kind of movie” drips with sarcasm, and the track plays like a subtle critique of performative living. It’s a welcome change in tone and arrangement, adding variety without straying too far from the album’s core aesthetic.

CVC is a standout for its 80s-inspired synth groove and the inclusion of backing vocals, which bring a fresh layer of depth not heard much elsewhere on the record. There’s a clear Erasure influence in the beat and vocal style, and the hook has a stickiness that makes this one of the most replayable moments on the album. The outro fades with purpose, tying into the next track without abruptness.

Foghorn closes the album with emotional gravity. It begins by echoing the sound effects from CVC, building into a slow, mournful groove centred on a soldier mourning his son. The beat rises and falls, creating moments of tension and release that align with the song’s narrative arc. The combination of smooth guitar, layered synths, and ambient pacing leaves a lasting impression, it’s a cinematic finish that feels fully earned.

As a self-produced and self-mixed debut, A BOOMBOX IN A PUBLIC PLACE is remarkably cohesive. Swart demonstrates a natural sense for sonic storytelling, with transitions that feel intentional and soundscapes that evoke both nostalgia and immediacy. While the genre shifts subtly from track to track, touching on synth-pop, ambient rock, and lo-fi funk, the emotional through-line is never lost.

The album’s charm lies in how unforced it feels. This is music made for the sake of expression, not trends. It sounds like an artist reconnecting with a long-lost part of himself, and inviting the listener along for the ride. The production is impressively clean for a home studio project, with carefully balanced levels and immersive mixing choices that elevate the entire listening experience.

SCORE/ Outstanding – For fans of experimental pop, synth-driven alt-rock, or just personal storytelling wrapped in atmospheric production, MYNK’s debut is a rewarding listen. A BOOMBOX IN A PUBLIC PLACE doesn’t try to define itself, and in that freedom, it finds its voice.

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I Keep Dreaming is the fifth album by Ferrari and Jay, which was recorded at the renowned Larry Beaird Music Group in Nashville, where they’ve recorded since 2019.

Ferrari is a returning customer. I reviewed his latest single How Far Apart Are We? I was mesmerized by his songwriting skills, noting that, in my opinion, Ferrari is an “experienced songwriter who understands how to craft a song to deliver emotional impact where the music matches the lyrics.” You can find my recent Ferrari single review here.

My expectations are high. Yours too?

So let’s have a listen …

I Keep Dreaming (Sentimental Fool) features the same great songwriting and arrangements. Everything flows and builds momentum in the song. Ferrari’s voice is good enough to pull it off. It has a very familiar sound. I love the western-sounding heavy reverb lead guitar throughout the song.

Who’s That Girl – I love how the song changes directions in the first chorus from the sound and cadence of the verse, loving the bridge when it hits “put on a show!” The song just flows really interesting way, lots of parts change.

Music With You starts off slow, “I strum my guitar” … and we’re off. “Have you heard my song on the radio?” Clever word choices: “It’s a dream come true, I’ve come to music with you.” A song about being a music performer. “Sha, la, la, la, la …”

I Keep Rollin’ On – a song about a traveling gambler, “four aces are all I need.” Nice pre-chorus chord arrangement lift just before the chorus “I Keep Rollin’ On!” Loving the female backing vocals later in the song!

One Heck of a Girl starts off with a springy piano and guitar vamp joined in by the male and female vocals singing doo, doo, doodoodoo, doo’s. The verse comes in with Ferrari singing a sweet tale about “his girl”. I like the middle bridge, particularly the simple but elegant lead guitar solo. This song has a bounce to its step. You can feel the bounce with your ears.

Are You Ready For Love, “keep on dancing!” This song has more of a jazzy feel. “All this magic from one sweet kiss!” Again, a simple but effective guitar solo. Ferrari’s songs all have nicely flowing arrangements.

Yes I Do – I love the arrangement on this song. “Do I love you? Yes, I do!”

The arpeggiated guitar riff gives the song a bit of a Spanish feel, but it’s definitely progressive adult contemporary within a nicely flowing contemporary jazz package. And it’s fun to listen to. “I promise you!”

Crazy In Love starts off with a nice lead guitar line, quickly followed by the first verse. “Crazy, crazy, crazy in love with you!” I really like the female backing vocals in the chorus and throughout the song. It adds depth to the song. Makes me think of Christmas songs for some reason, probably because of the way the vocals weave together over the instrumental track.

Please Tell Them “that you’re my girl.” The song has a nice middle bridge. And it has a ’50s rock feel. “Somebody to take you home, somebody.” I like the bouncing keyboard part, which nicely fits the genre of the song. Suddenly, a string section enters in the middle of the song. Very nice.

I Wouldn’t Lie has more of a remembrance feel. Reminiscing about the old times in San Francisco. This song has a ‘60s R&B type feel. “Living on memory lane.” “I never said I loved you, I wouldn’t lie.” Nice song.

That’s What You Do kicks off with a horn section. Very Seattle movie feel. “That’s What You Do when you’re in my arms!” A brilliant love song. Very nicely constructed middle bridge in this song. “And when your lips are touching mine” … rhymed with “climb”. Got to love great creative rhyming.

I really enjoyed listening to this album, and I have a feeling you will too!

SCORE/Outstanding: John Michael Ferrari’s new album is a master class in songwriting. Every song moves in interesting ways – like a belly dancer for your ears. You’ll very much enjoy this sonic listening experience. And, ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. Much love, Beth

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His previous release, titled ‘Chasing The Unknown’, was covered by this platform here and we were graced by a wonderful fusion of colliding techniques that represented the multifaceted scale of classical Indian music with other connecting musical nodes that fit the compositions itself, from other genres like blues and jazz to simply overlaps with other ‘World’ musical traditions. His release utterly blew me away, as it truly was a culmination of technical proficiency, a high level of musical variability and each composition presented itself as an M.C. Escher painting- meant to be dissected, enjoyed, and understood, with various pieces coming out to you at different points of time. If you need some context to understand the skill and modus operandi of Avra Banerjee’s compositions, I recommend that you click here to read the previous review.

To back up his expertise with his credentials, Avra Banerjee has amassed over 15 years in Indian classical music training, doubling as a composer and a sarod player. He has also collaborated with musicians across continents, such as those from the USA, Europe, India and Australia. He has also released over 35 singles and has been recognised with numerous prestigious nominations and awards, including the InterContinental Music Awards, Global Music Awards and the OneEarth Award Festival Award, just to name a few.

He is also the founder of two World music bands, one in India named ‘Ragamorphism’ and another one called ‘SwaraSynthesis’ in Australia. Within these bands, he performs, composes and arranges music. He also never limits himself to one genre- stretching his expertise to Fusion, Rock & Pop, Ghazals and Sufi music. To add on to his multivariate ability, he has also composed in several languages, such as Hindi, Urdu, English and Bengali.

With his current release, ‘Swar Lahari’ translated to ‘Wave of Melody’, he aims to showcase a harmonious blend of classical Indian music with contemporary influences, featuring collaborations with renowned artists like Ambi Subramaniam, Shashank Subramanyam, Murad Aii, Suchismita Das, Praashekh Borkar, Pratik Shrivastava, Zuheb Ahmed Khan, Apratim Majumdar, Bachospati Chakraborty, Mainak N Chowdhury, Tamal Kanti Halder, Amitav Islam, Sivakumar, Gurpreet Singh and Bhaswar Dasgupta. The album intends to offer listeners a rich tapestry of sounds that reflect the depth and versatility of Indian musical traditions.

Listening to this album will truly make you feel as if you’re transported into a different world enriched by the wonderful and intricate world of various ragas intersecting with the other components of these songs. It is intense, and it gave me goosebumps at some point of listening to it- you can truly feel the modes and the voicings ‘speak out’ as the notes glide through the pieces. The first track, ‘Harmony of Rhapsody’, presents itself as a call-and-response piece with the violin and the flute unfolding over what’s described as a rare ‘8.5 rhythm’, incorporating improvisations in 9/4 and 8/4 time cycles. The raga it also uses is Puriya Dhanashree to Basant Bahar.

‘Love’s Lullaby’ is one of my personal favourites from the entire album, as even though it is stated that it was intended to be gentle and soul-soothing based on the sarod melody derived from the Raga Mishra Piloo, the notes within this particular raga was deeply emotional and moving to me. It really drew me into the track, making me forget almost everything else in the background, with this feeling being elevated thanks to the synthesized ambient and atmospheric touch the whole composition bears. It was intended to create a peaceful sonic retreat that lingers long after the music fades, and that is so true. My brain is truly yearning to hear the song again.

‘Classically Perth’, truly blew my mind as it was entirely whole but also heart-stopping. The peaks and the lows of the Raaga Madhumanti emanating within the composition just captivated me. It begins with a ghazal, and then transitions into a exhilarating sarod instrumental set. It builds up to a captivating duet between the two tabla players apparent in the song, emerging in a rich, unified finale where all elements converge in harmony.

Then, ‘Harmonious Flow’, roots itself in the interplay of the Ragas Yaman and Marwa, ‘communicating’ with each other as it exchanges through itself and each instrument alternating between it. The time signature within this song is extremely compelling and fascinating, as it bears a 15/4 time cycle. It is honestly a very pleasant intellectual exercise to listen to this composition itself.

In a chain of vigorous compositions, ‘Triraga Conference’, is as self-explanatory as its title. It combines three ragas: Charukeshi, Chandrakauns and Malkauns. This track bears a 7/4 time signature with shifting accented rhythmic patterns, with the melodic part compensated by the sarod itself. It is a very dynamic and rich track that builds itself up in a very abstracted ‘race’ manner, delighting the ears of anyone who listens to it.

‘Mor Pankh’ closes the album with the wonderfully soulful and graceful vocal thumri that radiates love and devotion. It opens with an expressive melodic arc, celebrating deep emotional surrender, intending to leave a lasting impression with its elegance and heartfelt delivery. The syncopation of the percussion within this song reminds me of a lot of classical Indian devotional songs, accented with the pure and direct voice of the vocalist Suchismita. There are piano trills within this composition as well, giving it a sparkly flair beyond the otherwise gold timbre of the instruments. It is entirely encompassing in its feel.

This album has the ability to suck you in completely, allowing its feeling and complexity to bleed through your neurons. I can tell that each composition was very devotionally made, with no room left for error, in its little intricacies, such as the unique change of time signatures and even the trills and atmospheric instrumentation meant to make the songs feel whole. As a musician itself this album will push your boundaries of music and its modes, especially if you’re not used to Indian classical music. One thing that I’ve always loved about Indian classical music is its sheer encompassing feel and technical coverage, as many of your ‘other’ unique scales have their own raga equivalents- and more. It is a way of life, but it is also a way of expressing beauty and emotion without compromising authenticity. Another thing that I truly have to praise about the album is the collaborative effort between Avra Banerjee and the countless other musicians that lent their expertise to make all of these tracks wonderfully distinct, their efforts should never be ignored. This release is truly an inspirational work of art.

Score/Outstanding: Avra Banerjee once again returns with his wonderful expertise in Indian classical and carnatic fusion World music with his release titled ‘Swar Lahari’. It does not bear any flaw in any track, taking you through a journey within each of its tracks. They have the capability to not only be emotionally encompassing but also technically superior and fascinating, leading me to conclude that this is one of the highest echelons of art.

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Time Zones, from the first seconds, reminds me of what would happen if we mixed Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain with some records from Slowdive. This mixture of haziness and those dreamy walls of sound on tracks like “Seven Four” and a bouncy, slightly hectic energy from “Wicked Chester” gives you a truly charismatic output.

I like how the artist intentionally started the album so calmly and monumentally that it easily transitions into the continuation of the narrative. With this sense of powerful evolution, with dramatic and dynamic kicks in production, the album constantly delivers a punch, particularly on the track “Messenger”.

However, don’t think that the album avoids fully rough and raw sounds at times. While the band’s tendency to soften the tone with perfectly rhythmic and jazzy instrumentals gives each track a breathy atmosphere, the incorporation of hard guitar chords is no exception here. On the track “Rogues’ Gallery”, that strong and potent guitar chord feels as if it is driving the whole track, adding that sudden and intrusive rhythm.

Due to the album being wordless, the instrumentation and the continuous build-ups are the only creators of emotion throughout the record. Continuous tension and release on the majority of the tracks give you a perfect build-up with a resolution that feels so satisfying. The record feels quite improvisational in its dynamics, as none of the tracks repeat exactly the same path; each one develops in its own lane, whether it is the hectic, all-over-the-place sound or the more concentrated, bittersweet tone.

I feel that the artists dominate more when they opt for a brooding aesthetic within their records. With a track title like “Slowly Falling”, the artist ideally captures the evoked feeling. It feels as if the sound gradually builds and stretches out into a nostalgic, slightly tense atmosphere. These purposeful evolutions on the album, when the artists explicitly address the emotional factor of the song, seem to work out the best.

While I still favor the mix between fast-paced dynamics and then the sudden transition to a smoother flow, I think that this chaotic structure complements them, though it doesn’t fully capture their essence.

Time Zones feel complex and mysterious, as one would expect. On one side, you get some crazy, punchy sounds that feel so tightly sequenced; on the other, some murky and hypnotic ones that feel quite dreamy. Despite this mixture of sounds—and the album’s frank diversity being an advantage—the record does feel a bit too long.

It has a certain perfection to it which certainly appeals to a particular audience of enjoyers. However, some of the soundscapes feel less organic and authentic, making them seem slightly less original in the context of the album. While some tracks clearly have that “fire” and charm, others just lack it and turn out to be nothing more than quality tracks.

Score/Excellent: Even though the record is extremely well-produced at certain moments, it feels as if it blends parts of previous tracks a bit too much. I think the band has delivered a nice album which is a very pleasant listen and speaks the language of quality to you. However, despite minor problems like the length, and fewer exciting turns closer to the end (except “Tricky Lp” ), the record earns an Excellent rating.

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So let’s have a listen …

The first track is Lighthouse, which starts with a drum beat followed immediately by a well-played acoustic guitar. The mood is somber, but peacefully uplifting. Then comes the bridge, complete with its sound effects, and just as suddenly, we’re back to the main acoustic riff.

The second track River Song again features the acoustic guitar playing a cool, dark folk riff. More sound effects in the bridge and back to the main acoustic guitar riff, and some really nice lead work over a keyboard vamp. I really dig the ending crafted for this song, as it slowly builds and fades away. So far, the first two tracks have just been instrumentals, no vocals.

Evo is the third song on the album. Starts with a nice acoustic guitar drone riff that reminds me of a day at the lake, perhaps a busy picnic, with it’s busy shuffling around guitar drone riff. McRee sets a very nice table.

Spirited Away is the album’s fourth song. I really like the intro and main riff of this song. Sounds very tribal. McRee uses a lot of open ringing strings.

The fifth song on the album is the title cut Pasts & Premonitions, which starts off with a spacecraft radio voice and then opens up into a nice pleasing folk riff. The keyboards underneath add to the tension of the song. And it ends with “2, 3, 4” in the spacecraft radio voice. Cool.

Tree Falls is the sixth song on the album. Very complex start this one. A lot is going on, multiple arpeggiated acoustic guitar parts flowing to create a vibrant and satisfying portrait. My favorite track on this album so far.

We’re still all instrumental.

In The Name Of is the seventh song. More flowing guitar melodies. The drumbeat in this track seems a little too loud and very mechanical, but the acoustic guitar playing is excellent.

The eighth song is titled Fallen, a lovely acoustic guitar instrumental. These songs are pleasing to listen to, but everything is beginning to sound the same, which I can’t decide if that’s good or bad. At any rate, it does take a lot of skill to play these parts, so hat’s off for that!

Home, the ninth song, starts immediately with drums and a keyboard right out of the gate accompanying the acoustic guitar playing lovely melodies.

The tenth song on the album is Promise. Starts off with a beach vibe with a bouncy drum beat supporting the keys and acoustic guitar lead riffs. Not sure why this mentally triggers beach scenes for me, but it does. You too? Musically, the song does sound very hopeful, which is of course the best resolution for a promise.

Waltz for a Crow is the final song on the album. A nice folk song starts with a nice mellow drum beat, lots of harmonics floating on top of the main acoustic guitar. I dig this chord progression and its interesting changes.

On the plus side, these are really well crafted songs with lovely acoustic guitar melodies and production. All the songs are very ear-pleasing. On the minus side, I thought the drums were too mechanical, maybe a keyboard or drum machine drummer. I would like to hear the songs with real drums.

SCORE/Good: Overall, this new Russ McRee new folk album is good. It has a very adult contemporary folk sound. Each song is pleasing to the ears. Well, to my ears anyway. Nicely done, Mr. McRee, nicely done. Much love, Beth

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What is that, you might ask? Well, its members, Nick Spear and Susan O’Dea, live in two completely different worlds.

She’s urban, while he’s rural.

She’s a Millennial, while he’s part of Gen X.

She’s a ‘kale chicken caesar’ kind of gal, while he’s a ‘last night’s cold pizza’ kind of guy.

However, when morphed together in the world of music, they are undeniably and effortlessly aligned. The opposing forces of their personality oddly work when one would think it wouldn’t, and the connection point for them has always been a distinct type of harmony.

Big Sky City Lights is an indie-folk duo whose dreamy, harmony-infused Americana sound is both vintage and of-the-moment. The project emerged remotely as a partnership between Susan, who’s based in New York City, and Nick, who’s based in Montana, creating unique covers of well-known songs during the 2020 lockdown.

This collaboration lead to the release of their debut full-length album, titled ‘Wake Me When We Get There’ in June 2021.

Their sound is also largely inspired by the landscapes of Montana, harnessing the dichotomy of its spaciousness and intimacy. The project’s lush harmonies and yearning melodies draw comparisons to the Civil Wars, Swell Season, the Head and the Heart, and Simon and Garfunkel. Their brand of stripped-down, cinematic folk landed them a feature on Good Morning America and garnered the attention of major music festivals, including Sisters Folk Festival and Under The Big Sky Festival on the bill with Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, Shovels and Rope, Emmylou Harris and others.

This collaboration sounds extremely unexpected yet promising. Let’s explore their newest release, an EP titled ‘A Mountain To Go’

Upon listening to this album, I definitely hear the appeal of this act. I’m usually pretty stringent when it comes to music and musical variability- but there is one key factor that can absolve an act of this factor of needing to sound like Nandipha808 or John Cage. A deep, earnest musicality that is fairly easy for one to recognise and resonate with.

The combination of two of their voices is extremely striking and pleasing to my ears. It’s not a ‘cookie-cutter’ timbre behind their voices. If pictures speak a thousand words, sound speaks a billion more. Both of their voices ooze a sense of emotional depth, hardship, desire, delicateness as well as a sense of maturity. I’ve genuinely never heard such a stellar combination before in my life. Susan’s voice is delightfully strong, possessing not just a strong quality, but a lower tone and a richness with that tone. Her voice itself acts as the main instrument in most of these tracks on this release. The notes of Nick’s voice sincerely contrast her bold and deep tone quite well, intersecting with it like a wonderfully melodious flute. Together, they have the star quality and the musical quality of a cinematic soundtrack. This is quite rare to achieve with merely voice alone.

The instrumentation on this release is pretty varied, ranging from a country-rock soundscape to a strippe down acoustic soundscape that is extremely pleasing and soothing. The composition of all of these tracks are actually not necessarily that mindblowing, but I can say that they’re composed with utmost intent and passion, making it where you can hear each stem of the track potently and beautifully with the voices of the artists.

In terms of mastering, there are absolutely zero issues with this EP. All the instruments are panned, mastered and embellished quite well. This makes it where this album will make you feel like you’re ‘living’ through the experience of listening to this album, instead of just treating it like a detached experience.

There is also an evident theme of Americana and American-influenced instrumentation throughout this album, which would definitely appeal and make this album stand out even more if you have a personal soft spot for such genres.

Overall, a decent listen!

Score/Good: Big Sky City Lights harnesses the true prowess of two opposites, singing in unison and gracing the listener with wonderfully deep and rich harmonies. They go in the form of a cinematic ballad at times, all within the umbrella of Americana-influenced thematic genres. A decent listen that can make you feel nostalgic, too.

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Met Avra Banerjee, a seasoned classical Indian musician with over 15 years of training. He is also a composer and sarod player, specialising in what would be considered world music. He has collaborated with musicians from all over the world, with 35 singles to his name. He has a long list of prestigious nominations and awards, such as the: InterContinental Music Awards, Global Music Awards, Clef Music Award, LIT Music Awards, Indie Music Channel Awards, OneEarth Award Festival Award, X-Pose-Ing Awards, Josie Music Awards, World Entertainment Awards, Independent Music Awards and Global Indian Music Awards in categories such as World, Fusion, and Instrumental music.

He has also founded two bands: ‘Ragamorphism’ in India and ‘SwaraSynthesis’ in Australia. His role in these bands are primarily to perform, compose and arrange music. Within his own artistry and the umbrella of World music, his involvement in various genres include Indian classical, Fusion, Rock & Pop, Ghazals as well as Sufi music. Some of his works also include vocal pieces in languages such as Hindi, Urdu, English and Bengali. His proficiency also translates to authority, being part of The Recording Academy as a voting member. He also describes music as an art form rather than mere entertainment, which drives him to create compositions that are intricate and musically challenging, yet melodious and contemplative for the listener. He frequently experiments with multimodal melodies and unconventional rhythmic patterns in his work.

In this instance, we will review his latest body of work, titled ‘Chasing the Unknown’

Upon listening to this album, you will be greeted by a very cinematic flair when it comes to exploring the world of world music. Let’s put the production and the mastering aside- the timbre of the instruments and the microtonality as well as the scales will immediately pop up to you. Instantly, I can detect an instrument that almost sounds like a santoor, combined with influences of the hijaz scale. Each track speaks out like a landscape to a different world, accented by the initiative to let each ethnic instrument shine all while making a cohesive piece of music. Even though the influences throughout the album are quite direct, I can hear a lot of interlap with other musical cultures as well, such as the folk music of Eastern Europe- a coincidental aspect that speaks to the universality of music.

Within this album there are also undertones of rock through the syncopation of the percussion, as well as some melas (systems of Indian scales) to enhance the soundscape of the album. None of the songs are ‘stereotypically’ or sticking to merely one culture per se, but rather, it forces you to think and embrace what you’re hearing itself. You are one with the instrument, or instruments, rather. I can also hear undertones of jazz, ambient and blues being the connecting factor between blending the ethnic modes and scales with Western-scale backings, in order to let the compositions flow.

There are also some exciting nuances to this album, such as the use of interesting time signatures. For once, I have never heard anyone attempt to use the Waltz time signature with an Indian and Arabic influence before. The offbeat gives these songs a unique flair that I think needs to be dwelled upon, and expanded upon for inspiration. As someone who also composes within the same framework and mindset, I do also think this album is monumental to any listener and composer. Think of the relationship between ‘The Man Machine’ and electronic music to electronic music aficionados- I think this is the world music equivalent. The quality of this body of work is so high, I have to almost equate its musical impact to that of Deep Forest’s debut album.

As a musician also trained in classical Indian music, I think Avra does a wonderful job of extending Indian influenced motifs to these songs. If you are aware, there are so many melas to the point where I have to state that a) if you think your musical scale is separate from Indian compositional scales, they probably have one for it. I know for a fact that certain Indonesian and African scales also have a mela monologue, and b) the way these notes express themselves beyond the typical tuning and mode of major and minor give it an extra flair that even I have to use within my own precompositional intents. It may sound off to the Western ear, but it gives you an extra dimension for emotion- emotions that you think do not exist, but actually exist in the space of music itself. This album is FULL of surprises like that. The notes oscillate between sa,re,ga,ma,pa,dha,ni,sa and I can definitely hear it.

It almost makes me wonder if this album was composed with a film scape or a cinematic intent itself. All of the songs have a definite classical flair to it and a very, very potent edge. It is beyond the surface level of most music that comes out these days. One of my most favourite tracks in this album is ‘Triraga Confluence’. I assume from the title that three forms of ragas are used, but there is just something about the mode of notes used and the time signature that literally made my head tingle in the form of an ASMR reaction. I also love the attention to detail with the cultural influence not only apparent in the melodic modes of these songs, but also within the percussive elements. This track definitely has the strong sense of a tabla in it, and it is played extremely competently- all with the mysticism and suaveness of jazz, shall I say.

Overall, this album truly changed my mood and my outlook on music itself. It is a very astute and musically competent album. Even if you’re familiar with the nuances of ‘world’ music, this album is different. It doesn’t present itself as merely an album that contains ethnic eccentricities. You’re living through the little accents and quirks that makes each cultural scale different from another in terms of music. You’re living through a musical story that has been delicately and ironically, intensively crafted at the same time.

A wonderful body of work.

Score/Outstanding: Avra Banerjee absolutely warps my mind with his latest release, ‘Chasing The Unknown’ with a brilliant combination of various melas, ragas and scales. The album is chock full with ethnic motifs glued together with a keen and astute eye for composition itself. This album doesn’t even play itself out like an album, instead, it is almost like an experience or entering a different dimension that forces you to think and feel all at the same time. This piece of art should not be overlooked, at all.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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I texted about half a dozen people, demanding they answer me immediately because I had something incredible to tell them about. But of course, it was already well past 1 a.m., and no one answered. But…I had found it. I had found the album! The next album to awaken something new in music, the same way a first kiss reawakens the soul. I was still in a furor when I went to bed, only just starting to process it all. I knew damn well I had heard something, but more importantly I had felt something.

So what the hell is this supernatural record I’m talking about? The music which managed to drive me entirely up the wall in the best way possible? Diamond Jubilee is the name of the project. And man, I’ll tell ya, I get my yuk’s just from looking at the cover for this album: an old postcard of a factory in rural Canada, with Cindy Lee herself scribbled over it, cigarette dangling between her fingers.

And just who is this Cindy Lee character I’m talking about? Well, she’s a gal with a bob-ish haircut and cherry red lip gloss, she’s got a penchant for high heel boots that go up to the knees. She likes to get on stages in dim clubs and cozy up to the microphone while she sings about the Texas moon or whatever, but no one really cares what she’s singing about, because everyone’s so mesmerized by just the sounds alone that are coming from the stage, sounds that might as well be from another world as far as they’re concerned. But hold your horses just a minute, we’ll get to the music soon. I want you to have all the context you need before we do, because this album deserves it.

Underneath the drag persona of Cindy Lee is the real persona of Patrick Flegel, the former lead of Women, that (sorta) indie rock band from Canada that broke up onstage at a concert in 2010. You’ve gotta be a real snob to know this band. But don’t worry if you are, you’re always in good hands with me. However, you don’t need to be as much as a snob to know about their new hypnagogic drag project, Cindy Lee, despite the fact that Flegel seemed to set up extra obstacles for themself with the drop of this new album.

Dig this: Flegel released this album with no promotional campaign, and the only way to listen is either a two hour long YouTube video with no track breaks, or a WAV file from a Geosite. No Spotify, no iTunes, no nothing (“THE CEO OF SPOTIFY IS A THIEF AND A WAR PIG,” reads a disclaimer on the Geosite. “HE STOLE 100 MILLION EURO FROM ROCK AND ROLLERS AND USED THE MONEY TO INVEST INTO ‘HELSING.’ ‘HELSING’ IS A MILITARY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INNOVATOR.”). 

Yes, you’ll have to seek this one out on your own. And when you do get to that Geosite or YouTube video, and you take a look at the length, your jaw will drop. 2 hours and 2 minutes. In this day and age? Who’ll listen to a two hour long album that has no catchy singles, radio play, social media campaigns, or even physical copies?

A lot of people, it turns out. Maybe Flegel knew it, maybe they didn’t, but the album they created here is such a tour de force, such an achievement in music that it doesn’t need any sort of introduction. In fact, if you had any sense at all, you’d stop reading now and listen to it all, start to finish. But if you’ll listen a while longer, I’ll talk a while longer.

For a better understanding of where I come from with all this, I’d like to recount a disagreement I had with a vinyl store clerk a month or two ago. I was buying a nice pressing of Led Zeppelin’s fourth album, the one with “Stairway to Heaven” on it, finally breaking down and spending an absurd amount of money for a new copy. It’s not hard to find Led Zeppelin II or III used at any vinyl store worth your time, but no one sells their copy of Led Zeppelin IV. Not because it’s the best Zeppelin album, but because it’s a great coffee table album…and there’s nothing totally wrong with that. What’s wrong is when you start to think those coffee table records are the only good ones left.

The kid behind the counter was at least a year or two older than me, but seemed infinitely more sophisticated, as all people on that side of the counter used to seem to me. But then halfway through our conversation about the album, he fixed his mouth to say one of the most foolish things anyone who claims to be into music can say: “They don’t make music like this anymore.”

“How do you mean?” I ask.

He tapped the vinyl cover with his two fingers. “Rock ’n’ roll is dead,” he said.

What an idiot! I thought it, but I didn’t say it. I couldn’t blame the guy too much. I too used to cynically speculate on the death of rock as we knew it. It was true…all the best music of the new generation was the R&B, the hip-hop, the rap, some of the pop, even. And while that isn’t false, I’ll tell you what first made me start to believe again in rock ’n’ roll, just on a smaller scale: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.

Late one night, similar to the one in which I first heard this album, I put on two of King Gizz’s albums: I’m In Your Mind Fuzz and Murder of the Universe. Of course, it wasn’t the same as Zeppelin, or the Stones, or The Who, because making something like that would no longer be rock ’n’ roll. Because yes, while there are some basic qualifiers for the rock genre, the rock ’n’ roll spirit is a different thing entirely.

Real rock ’n’ roll isn’t about the break neck guitar solos or sexy lyrics, and it never was. It’s about taking the rulebook for normal music and taking out the pages you want before burning the rest. It’s about creating something that shocks and awes and is new, and that’s what King Gizz did with the things they put out in the mid-2010s.

I told the clerk that nothing really dies, it just comes back in a new form. I told him I thought we were waiting for some kind of rock renaissance, that—mark my words—there would be something soon to blow the roof off everything. But I’ll admit, I doubted it slightly even as I said it. I had been starved for quite a while for some new brain-warping noises that weren’t from (just) a music production software.

PART TWO: DAYDREAM OR FEVER?

And so that brings us back to the fateful Friday when just before midnight I put on a new album, thinking I was only gonna listen to a few songs. After all, the thing was two hours, and I’d never heard of this Cindy person. But all it took was to sit down and listen to the first two minutes of the title track, and I realized I couldn’t put the thing down until I was over. And I’ll tell you why. If you listen closely, you’ll hear something odd only six seconds into the album as a beachy guitar riff fades in: a mistake! One of the guitar strings is a little buzzy.

There are mistakes and blemishes like this throughout the entire project. But it doesn’t make it worse. In fact, it makes it better. If I can use a painting metaphor, Bob Ross called these similar mishaps in his paintings “happy little accidents.” And that’s exactly what we have here with these offbeat piano switches, unsteady drum lines, and buzzy guitar strings…happy little accidents. They don’t appear too often, but they appear often enough to make the record human. Because the best music is human, and flawed, and compassionate, but most of all it’s human.

But hell, we’re only six seconds into the record and I’m already laying this all on you like some kind of schizophrenic (which I might as well be for this stuff). Let’s return to where we started: the guitar riff. If you’ve listened to enough of the Beach Boys, it may remind you of some of Brian Wilson’s licks. There are playful variations in the initial seconds of the solo guitar as echoing snaps fade in.

Combining healthy reverb on the instruments, distorted wordless vocals, and distant percussion on the next minute of the track, the album takes on a cautiously surreal feeling, like the moment of hesitation before slipping into a daydream. It builds and builds and builds, the drums becoming faster and faster before cutting off when in a single, cleansing instant all the hesitance washes away with the singing of the album’s first lyrics: “In the diamond’s eye / Shining down on me / A single memory / And it’s of you / Of you.” The voice is eerie, but more so beautiful, and ties everything together to create one of the record’s greatest accomplishments: the dreamy quality of the sound. Gosh, how can I describe it accurately? It’s a memory of a memory of a memory. It sounds like everything you’ve ever heard on the radio condensed into two hours, but at the same time it sounds like nothing else. Or maybe just nothing you’ve ever heard conscious.

I could spend hours listing all the genres and influences here, and several more listing the ways that Flegel subverts and changes these genres. The largest influences to look to are girl groups, psych rockers, ‘70s rock radio, new wave bands, and the lofi wizards that ruled a small corner of the ‘90s. Flegel carefully assembles this sound palette through the first ten tracks.

Following the mellow opener is the first danceable song here, or at the very least a good head-nodder: “Glitz.” Thundering synths and heavy drums roll through the track, before it suddenly drops off around minute three, going from a total jive to a single echoing acoustic guitar playing the same foreboding riff over and over before closing off, not even returning to any sort of chorus. 

“Baby Blue” is a murky doowop waltz, with some of the catchier vocals on the first disc. “Baby, baby, baby blue / Everybody wants a piece of you” has stayed with me, stuck in my head like a strange mantra, and I’m not sure why. Another stellar track is “All I Want is You,” with Flegel showing off their eerier vocals accompanied by a sunny guitar, which will come back later on. In fact, a lot will come back later on. Many times throughout the album, you’ll hear chord progressions, or rhythms, or even lyrics that have appeared previously during the two hour record. And strangely enough, sometimes you’ll hear something you swear you’ve heard before, when really you haven’t. What a trip!

“Le Machiniste Fantôme” is essentially an interlude, but is still one of my favorite tracks on the album. It begins with faint, wordless singing as a flute whines in the background, before the track profoundly devolves into some of the most impactful guitar sounds I have ever experienced, the kind that you feel in your chest. So nostalgic, so familiar, so—

Ah, hell, I’ve heard this before, haven’t I? The answer is yes, dear reader. In fact, it was on this very record. Or was it? This thing is turning into a real mindfuck, and by the time the first disc finishes and the second opens with “Stone Faces,” a morbidly funky number about “Stone faces staring back at me / They saw me on the cover of a magazine / And now these people want a piece of me,” you’ll start to feel a slight dread set in. Following it is “Gayblevision,” the most explicitly new wave track on the record, and one of the most uplifting. The song sounds like an alternate take of some old Talking Heads demo, drenched in the opiate-induced mystique of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground.

There’s not a bad song on either side of the record, but for the sake of time, let’s skip forward, closer to the end. “What’s it Going To Take,” feels like the beginning of the end for the record, a quiet track that builds into a section of noise but never really climaxes, only fades off into the next song, “Wild Rose,” which brings back another funky guitar tune, and is the last somewhat optimistic track  on the album.

From here, everything slowly slides into oblivion, and a light begins to form at the end of the tunnel. Maybe you’re ready for it to end, maybe you’re not. But that light keeps coming closer as the seconds go by. Might as well accept it now, and try and savor whatever is left. You’ll never hear this album for the first time again.

The final lyrics are sung on the second to last track, “Crime of Passion.”  I’ve heard this final line at least twelve times in the last week, and I still can’t quite make it all out. It goes something like: “You don’t have to be a [?] / To be wrong / To be wrong.” I can’t tell you what it means exactly, but it still manages to give me goosebumps more often than not.

The final song is a five minute instrumental, “Heaven 24/7.” Cascading strings, droning violins, sparkly percussion…It’s very possible that to acquire the sounds on this track, Pat Flegel assembled some sort of radio that really could transmit a signal to heaven, and then did the best they could to translate it into something we can only vaguely understand.

When the album ends, there is no fade out. The music simply cuts off mid violin note. It’s the musical equivalent to a gunshot to the head—your life (the music!) ends suddenly without any explanation. It’s one final shock to the nervous system, something that creates a sudden void, ripping all the beauty of the music away from you in an instant. 

And it’s over.

PART THREE: MINOR SELF-INDULGENCE

I appreciate you sticking around so long. As I said, you’re always in good hands with me, and I hope I’m in good hands with you. If we’re in agreement, I’ll go on a little longer, and I’ll tell you where this album fits into music as it stands now. This may very well be the greatest thing to come out in a decade, and if we’re talking about just rock, it may be the best thing since Y2K.

I’m sure I’ll think of twenty more groups after I sell this review, but for now I’ll name a few for you: Arcade Fire, Swans, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, and The Strokes. These are the (popular) bands that I believe helped keep rock ’n’ roll alive from the Bush years all the way through the pandemic.

And some of them come very close, but none of them seem to quite break through the same glass ceiling musically, with the same level of force and upward mobility as this singular album. This is the last Cindy Lee project, but it’s worth just as much as an entire career (But don’t let that stop you from listening to the rest of Cindy Lee’s albums). This album is truly the achievement of a lifetime, something that is truly in the most genuine way moral, however you apply the term to something so abstract.

I’ve caught mild flack for my relentless praise for the album, one of my friends saying, “You’ve got to be an idiot to think this is even the best thing to come out in even five years.” Man! I shoulda slugged him right then and there for calling me something like that while simultaneously trashing something of such greatness…

But really, it’s all my opinion. I mean really, where does an 18-year-old who can barely play a guitar solo get off calling anything good or bad with such confidence? Who calls vinyl clerks “idiots” and talks about slugging his friends over something as trivial as an album? You have to understand, the reason I get so heated here is because I believe art to be one of the only clean currencies left in this dirty social economy, and I believe this is art in its purest form. There is nothing more special than what you and I can share that we enjoy.

I don’t speak about this album the way I do because I believe that there is an objective truth to it. I speak the way I do because more than anything I want you to feel the same thing I did when I listened, I want you to come to the same epiphanies I did, even if there’s only a slight possibility our minds line up enough to spark that same effect. Take the chance, put on the album. It could change your life, kiddo.

Rating/Outstanding: One of the greatest albums ever made, calling it now.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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