The album opens with "Deck 14," which has a kind of dark, mysterious vibe as it begins. The title makes me think of a cruise ship, or, since Star Trek was already on my mind, of a spaceship. I haven't been on a boat of that size, but apparently Deck 14 is an upper level, with a view to the sky and to the ocean. There is a somewhat muted sound here, as if underwater, at least in those opening moments, and there is also something soothing here, if only because we find there is nothing we can do at the moment to solve any of the great problems. We are aware of them, the troubles poking at our reality, but find ourselves distanced from them. Interestingly, the guitar work becomes pretty. Perhaps if we are forced to let go, beauty will appear everywhere. That's followed by "The Zen And Art Of Steve," the first of three tracks on this album to include a man's name in its title. It has an intriguing opening. We're not sure quite where we are, what our footing is, though we are taking little steps. Soon there is a little more power behind the sound, but it is still not quite known where we are. Surprisingly, there is a pause partway through, and then it begins again. It's like it is teaching us something, patiently, hoping we'll get it right, hoping we'll understand it this time through. And maybe here too there is a need to let go, at least of any preconceptions, any notions of what is supposed to happen.
"Francis Beside Me" is the second of three tracks to have a man's name in its title, and it continues in the same vein. This album, perhaps more than others in the series, feels like it has a theme, a certain current running through it, a certain sound, a certain vibe, where beauty is discovered through repetition of a thought, of a feeling. Perhaps peace too can be found. Though as we dig deeper here, we find something else at work, something vibrant, something with its own needs, which are communicated to us. Then "Systemic" feels like it comes from within, like a piece of ourselves is reaching out to touch something apart, to connect with it, speak with it, though without the use of any known vocabulary. As we relax, it isn't certain whether the message is something we've transmitted or received. And in that very question we find a certain state of calm, a beauty that washes over us. An understanding without knowing.
The final of the three tracks to feature a man's name in the title is "Peter Patter," an interesting variation on the idea of "pitter patter." This track takes us to a different realm right away. Don't you love how music can transport you? Here a tension is built, then released. And for a moment we are drifting, completely free from any solid world, and the music, the message comes to us in waves, both from above and below. Then "Cracks" begins with a sense of wonder, like having waves of light wash over you, feeling them, accepting them, but not quite knowing their source. The song's title reminds me of a great lyric from Leonard Cohen: "There is a crack, a crack in everything/That's how the light gets in." It does feel like the light is coming in. Then the motion changes, becomes more human, stepping toward something. A need is now felt. And soon the human element and celestial element somehow combine.
"Pool Of Sky" is an interesting title, making a certain sense with the idea of a cloud. As it begins, it is dropping items into a pool, and watching the ripples fan out. Dropping them into the sky? Perhaps. And then it is like we hitch a ride on one of those ripples for a moment, letting us experience things from a different perspective, a perspective in motion, and the guitar work becomes more playful, more joyful. There is then a breath, a pause, and we find things have slowed down. Is it that the waves have slowed, or are spread farther apart? Or are we now so far within that it only seems slower from our new perspective? Slowing our breath, slowing our heartbeat to match it. In the second half of the track, the guitar takes on more energy, with a desire to drive forward. That's followed by "Your Moods," which has an appealing, soft beauty from the start, drops of sky landing around us. Light and darkness collide, wanting everything at once, and finding a way to have it by relaxing. That's when the brighter colors splash on our faces, paint our surroundings with light. It is like the universe says, "See? See?" And we do.
"Mars, The Bringer Of Chocolate" is clearly the most delightful title of any track, and it is also a rather delightful, playful number, like beauty falling from darkness right onto our laps and then running about. It is also the album's shortest track. The album then concludes with "The Wizard" (which online is titled "Nobody Beats The Wizard!"). Interestingly, there is a tension to this final track, the sense of something building, something creeping, while streaks of electronic light fire down at us as from an alien vessel or a disco space ship. We take steps, repeating a route, a pattern, each time getting a little bit higher, until we reach a different plateau. There we find a more soothing atmosphere, though those lights still streak down upon us. There is a certain satisfaction reached before the end. Where will Fernando Perdomo take us next month?
CD Track List
- Deck 14
- The Zen And Art Of Steve
- Francis Beside Me
- Systemic
- Peter Patter
- Cracks
- Pool Of Sky
- Your Moods
- Mars, The Bringer Of Chocolate
- The Wizard
Clouds 4 was released on April 1, 2026.
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