Review Summary: Heard it stoned. I felt like I was floating on ice. Amazing
Life is too much like a hazy dream. You go along on it as if things will always remain calm, but on certain moments you feel turbulent and on others you wish to escape to a form of paradise. In these small but decisive moments we understand the essence of what we all desire: Peace, harmony, but with its own certain taste of elegance and championship. So on this journey do we, the followers, try to embrace the meaning of our own truth? Only you can think about that.
I wrote the above paragraph in the sweet embraces of Mother Nature, being played for a lazy young lad. And why do I mention that dear readers? To let you know the state of mind I was in when I first heard this album. It was recommended by a friend and I just happened to pick it up as a mere curiosity in a little shop of music. “It’s groovy, man, totally mind bending.” I was told by the guy at the counter, who I must say sounded like a hippie, but looked like he came from a life-altering exam. “You're not gonna regret it man. It's on sale for now!” So in my thrifty nature I purchased it and brought it home, where I left it unattended for a couple of days Then a last week, as I tried to become one with the universe, I put the CD in my boom box and let the sounds surround me.
This album has an extremely varied sound; A strange blend of progressive rock. But to limit it to just that is to underline the creativity this album has. More like a mixture of progressive, folk, psychedelia, shoegaze, blues and acoustic. The album starts with some loud guitar distortion, from the opening track “Marina”. It assembles a rocking sound, sort of like a Western take on Middle Eastern rock. But as soon as the tempo builds up, it breaks down in a sweet melody, complete with acoustic guitar and lays out some nice vocal work. As soon as the track ends, it shifts to the dark themed “Rigamaroo”. Rigamaroo is an unplugged ballad with the vocal harmonies of both the male and female singer entwined to suck you in. The lyrics talk about the loss of one’s love and to pin hopes on innocence is not a good thing.
The interlude in the middle called “Acid Love” indeed feels like it was made for those who enjoy more hardcore drugs, as the distorted sound and rhythms create a strong notable break that gets me to sit up and pay attention. The album then reaches its creative peak musically at the finale. The end comes on a high note with the closer “Sandstorm Woman”. It’s a combination of heavy chunky guitar playing, between sweet melodic breaks in the middle of it. It creates what I would call, ”a bliss in the desert" for those like myself who have been to the desert how the heat can cause one to lose their sanity and drift into a feeling of pleasure.
The whole album is a feel of what would happen if you were to lie on your back on a cool day and let the instruments in your mind run wild and create a blissful and laid-back atmosphere for you to feel comfy in. The vocals are great, though they do sometimes seem a bit nasally at times, which slightly annoyed me. The guitar playing is top notch, with both acoustic and electric perfected in production. And not to mention there are two harmonica solos on the album. So if that doesn’t get you, nothing will.
