"Green Magic," the disc's opening track, begins with drums, a strong beat that promises something fun, something lively. And as the bass comes in, we do hear a certain punk influence, preparing us for a good ride. As the song kicks in, it takes on a feel of those late 1960s blues rock groups. "Come on, baby," he invites us in those early moments, and it doesn't take too much coaxing on his part. "I forget that I was young/In the day that I'd begun/In a way I let you go/Everything I was supposed to know." This has a great hard blues rock sound, feeling like a good jam and featuring some strong work on guitar. It strikes me as kind of crazy that this is the work of just one person, because it seems like a great band to see in concert. However, this is one of the tracks on which Caspian Coberly got a bit of help, with additional work on keyboards and synthesizers added later with Roberto Schilling. This song slows as it reaches its conclusion, winding down. Then "She (Knows All)" has a somewhat softer sound as it begins. On this track we hear a definite John Lennon influence, particularly in the vocal performance. "She knows all she could know, it goes/She knows all she could know, it goes, and all/We don't know it all/Is it something?" There is also some nice layering of vocals, and a cool lead on electric guitar toward the end. This song fades out all too soon.
There is also a John Lennon influence heard in "Wonder," with that harder edge, like on some of Lennon's early solo work, at least on those first several lines. It's an interesting love song, a song that almost demands love. "Love me truly/Love me duly/Like no other." Here he also sings, "Chasing the past," and in a way we get the sense that this is something he is doing with his music. And that is just fine with us, because he seems to capture it perfectly. This music could be slipped into the past, and we'd believe it came from that time (like that moment in Wag The Dog, right?), though it works so well now too. Interestingly, the moment where he counts into the next track with drum sticks occurs at the end of this track. So then this track slides right into the next, "Send A Call," which features some excellent, moving work on guitar at the beginning. "Call me back/After all/My dreams are all for you." There is something sweet about his vocal performance here. There is a need, a yearning in his voice. I also like that bass line. But it is that guitar lead in the second half that especially stands out. This song has a sudden ending, almost as abrupt as The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," though there is a bit of studio noise after the ending.
"Shepherds Delight" was released as a single in late January, and is the song that got me excited about this album. It's a seriously cool song with a strong groove. Those effective pauses bring Led Zeppelin to mind, and they aren't the only element giving this song a Zeppelin vibe. "It's bringing me back/It's nothing to you/It's nothing, it's something that I should know." Again, it seems crazy that this is the work of one person rather than a band. But either way, it's great that someone is still creating music like this. That's followed by "South Street Talk," which has a more easygoing feel to it. "You're all I needed, baby/I do the best that I can/Talk/Walk/From here/Talk/Walk/Disappear." This one also features some good work on guitar. Then "Don't Walk Away" has a rather pretty sound, and is a sort of love song. The first two lines stand out: "Thinking of the world today/Love is only something they say." Those lines ring true, don't they? There are certain words, certain phrases that we hear, but which seem to not be truly felt or experienced by those speaking. "Don't, don't walk away/Have I come undone/Loneliness is only mine/Thinking of you all the time." He then tells us, "Wrote this song inside a dream," and indeed there is a dreamlike quality to it. Love is the best dream, isn't it?
"The Long Time" comes rushing at us like traffic in a city, and then a strong beat leads us into the body of the song. There is a strange psychedelic element to the sound, like the sound approaching in waves. Then when he sings "And I'm breaking away and I'm breaking away," there is actually a bit of a Bee Gees thing to his vocal approach. This is one of the most interesting tracks on the album, particularly as the sound is concerned. It is also the other track on which Caspian Coberly got a bit of help, the drums recorded with Ben Root. That's followed by "All That I Want," which has the sound of a live track. As far as I understand it, it's not a live recording, so it's a bit of an odd choice, a bit jarring. The audience sound drops out after a minute or so, just before the vocals come in, but they come back in at other points in the track. This song has a classic, soulful sound. with a bit of a "Lean On Me" vibe at moments. "Love that's so strong/Well, I'm calling you back/Babe, come on home/All that I want/All that I need/I need you, girl/I'm begging, please." The album concludes with "Perfect Nights," which creates a sort of fuzzy city landscape in its initial moments. We ease in from there, and for a moment there is a meditative feel, before suddenly the drums launch us into the body of the tune. This is a cool instrumental number, the disc's only instrumental track, and the jam contains some great stuff on guitar.
CD Track List
- Green Magic
- She (Knows All)
- Wonder
- Send A Call
- Shepherds Delight
- South Street Talk
- Don't Walk Away
- The Long Time
- All That I Want
- Perfect Nights
Starlight was released on April 11, 2025.
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