An Epiphany set to Music: Shine a Light by J.P. Kallio

This Finnish-born singer-songwriter has a new album. Believe me, it is worth your ears!

Life happens whether you sleep or have spent many years inside a cave. The name J.P. Kallio reminds me of the pre-pandemic carefree years, which begs the question, are we ever the same person after life’s ups and downs? Kallio’s musical career is such an adventure. He played with a Celtic rock band, Sliotar, in the 2010s before moving south of France and perhaps settling there for good.
Shine a Light is the new album after many years.
His last release was in 2015. Since then, so many things have happened. That is why Shine a Light gives off a different energy. It is poignant, reflective, and optimistic. The 11 tracks weave in and out like chapters of a novel. Beauty is one of the songs that got to me. It has words like ” let go” and “drive slow,” which I am sure anyone can relate to after a breakup, a divorce, or getting out of an illness, if you know what I mean.
The arrangements are minimal, with mostly his acoustic guitar as an accompaniment. This leaves you paying more attention to the lyrics. Other atmospherics are added to some tracks, including the falling rain on I Am.
Forest for the Trees is a soliloquy set to music. Such epiphany is refreshing in an era where most songs talk about partying, getting wasted, and hooking up with someone. For people like us who are past our 20s and 30s, this album provides a respite from the alienation. This is real talk with melodies. This is soul-searching, exorcising our demons wrapped in acoustic rock.
So next time you go on driving, and decided to stop on the side of the road. Listen to this album, crank the volume up, and take a hard look at yourself in a mirror. Yes, a hard look.

Listen to Embrace by Roosevelt

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nRYgOkGspojaB8JhwK9iBIIxRdqGzvhfY&si=4NRradsHfGLze7lt

I discovered Roosevelt a few years ago, before the pandemic. I remember being captivated by Night Moves and other tracks on the first album. After that, I listened to the second album, Young Romance, and still experienced the same magic I had with the first album. The Balearic flavor of the songs is what I came for.
Embrace is the new album, and it did not disappoint. It showcases the things I expect. It has the hooks, grooves, and catchiness of any Rosevelt release, and Marius Lauber is the king of Ebiza pop.

“Check out the new track released by Artist July, it’s so crisp and good!”

https://on.soundcloud.com/vLbTp

After losing my phone I had no idea if I would be able to blog again. It seemed accessing my accounts will take so much resources and I was not sure I got what it takes. A stroke of luck and I am here again.

To celebrate that goodness, I am posting this tune from RnB/Soul artist named July. This is not the first time I talked about him on this site. Salone is just the perfect mood to celebrate this moment of claiming my account info and blogging once again.

Salone has a relaxing pace with chilled beats and smooth vocals. This is the kind of song that describes the mood I have right now. Happy Holidays to all!

Joe Symes and the Loving Kind New Music Video for Upcoming Album is Out!

I hope everyone has a great weekend. It’s been a while since the last blog update, and there are so many exciting things going on musically that I have been missing a lot!
If there is one thing I wish for 2024, it will be more time and energy to talk or write about music. As luck would have it, Joe Symes and the Loving Kind will release a new album – actually their new third album ‘Portmanteau’ to be released in early 2024!

I admire Joe Symes and the rest of these guys for having the passion to create more music despite industry challenges. As we all noticed, the livelihood of musicians now depends on live shows, as streaming and releasing albums generally do not pay off. And this band has come a long way musically. And they rock live as much as they sound good in their recorded sound. A new excellent video “It’s All Too Late” teases the cool update. The music video has that nostalgic appeal, by the way. They also sound great, incorporating 90s and 80s style and sound reminiscent of The Smiths and The Stone Roses in their recordings. Check out the video below, and I am sure this will make you look forward to the new album.

Angels in the Garden by October Project

The 2022 song by October Project proves that no record company can have power over one’s creativity. This and their other songs after they broke up in the late 90s. Their record label dropped them, perhaps because the second album did not sell well as expected? It sold around 750,000 copies at that time. But if you really think about it, Epic should have promoted them more. If your label loves you enough, it has to find a way to give you more visibility. This can be achieved by placing you on movies and TV shows. If it loves you enough, its machine will find a way to market you. Unless you are really unmarketable, they can never find other means to do that. But then again, why did they sign you after all if they did not believe you had something to offer beyond commercial success? But it is a weak point now, considering that they continue to develop incredible melodies and fantastic arrangements. Marina Belica is a true soprano, and the choir in this can be overpowering. Not something one would expect as a signature October Project sound in their first two albums. She could have set the balance if only Mary Fahl was still with them. Still, this song is genuinely satisfying for these three Yale graduates. Julie Flander’s poetic lyrics can touch the soul. Emil Adler is still the musical force behind the band. With Angels in the Garden, October Project has cemented itself as the visionary of the spiritual and scientific world.