The album eases in with a pretty and soothing exploration inward. Titled "Meditation (For Jesse Gress)," this piece was composed on one of Jesse Gress' guitars. The guitarist, known for his work with Todd Rundgren, died in early 2023. For anyone who has lost someone in recent years, this track provides a place to go, a place to let your thoughts and memories flow unimpeded, with love rather than sorrow. There is a mystical bent to this piece that feels just exactly right. Then "A Mystery" comes on with more strength, a more determined drive. It is less contemplative, and more dramatic, particularly in the guitar work. If there is a mystery, the music seems to both delight in it and strive to solve it. But perhaps rather than solve it, it is better to live and work within its exciting bounds.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the beach, and I loved low tide, when tide pools left much to discover, and we could walk out in the wet sand among crabs and other tiny creatures scuttling about. Often there weren't as many people on the beach at those times, so the world was our own to determine. And it feels that "Low Tide" is exploring that world, and finding perhaps some darker elements. The electric guitar drives that exploration forward, but this track also features some really good work on bass. At some point, we realize that the exploration has become something of a dance, that we are a part of that world now, that we are involved from the inside, no longer just observing. And what a wonderful thing that is! That's followed by "Stomper XL," which surprises us, beginning, as it does, with a strong beat, and then taking us on a fun, curious path. There is a dance in our step, and the world flashes bursts of gorgeous purples and greens and yellows all around us, welcoming us, beckoning us onward. It's like life is a game set up by sentient plant life delighted that we have joined the fun, that we are playing along. It is a completely enjoyable track, taking some interesting, odd little turns in the second half.
There are some psychedelic elements at the beginning of "A Morning Walk," and also some sweet folk elements. This is a beautiful piece that reminds us of how good it is to be alive, how incredible it is to be here at all. There is always so much to learn, so much to explore, that what seems like the ordinary world is actually something astounding and gorgeous when we take the time to look closely at our surroundings. Go for a walk with wide open eyes, the music seems to suggest, and be in no hurry. We'll see the world as we did when we were young children. There is that sense in this music. Then "Evolution" opens like a curtain revealing a magic world. There is then a slight pause before the action begins, like a spark in a vast darkness, a light that takes form, a light that begins to move like a dancer, expressing its desires and its designs through its movement. Others join it, until there are many voices, each with its own needs. It becomes intriguing, and then suddenly it's over.
"You Don't Look Like A Fernando" certainly has the most humorous title of the album, and of the series so far. There is a voice heard at the beginning, speaking the title line before the music begins, a line that we suspect Fernando Perdomo has heard more than once in his life. So he's having a little fun with it here. The music, however, has a fairly somber sound, contrasting with that playful sense. The track features some excellent guitar work that cuts through the swirling mists. There is also some interesting use of percussion on this one. Then "Sunray" is another wonderful surprise. As it begins, it announces itself as a dance song, and almost demands movement from us as we listen. This album really takes us in several different directions. This track is kind of fascinating, for it is like prog disco, if there is such a thing, a dance song that is far more intriguing than perhaps a dance song has any business being. Its depth lies is in the guitar work. And that section where the bass leads is fantastic.
True to its title, there is an eerie aspect to the sound of "Ghosts In The Water" right from the start. It is as if we are in murky water and sense something or several somethings moving past us, around us. But soon we forget about the possibility of danger, and instead become immersed in the wonder of it. Feeling their vibrations, accepting them, and wanting to enjoy their presence while it lasts. It is almost as if we are entering a dance with the ghosts, until it is no longer like they are in our world, but that we are in theirs. Have we ourselves become the ghosts in the water? Then with "Deep Sea Diver" we go farther into this strange and beautiful world. There are hints of danger, of darkness, but also a calm that we can wrap ourselves in as we move forward, like a shield. Soon the song takes on a fairly strong beat, and any worries have dissolved. We've left them behind. Now it is about beauty and knowledge. It is about the experience. And as the track begins to reach its climax, it becomes exciting. I'm also excited to know where this series of albums will take us next.
CD Track List
- Meditation (For Jesse Gress)
- A Mystery
- Low Tide
- Stomper XL
- A Morning Walk
- Evolution
- You Do Not Look Like A Fernando
- Sunray
- Ghosts In The Water
- Deep Sea Diver
Waves 5 was released on May 1, 2025.
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