The album opens with "I Know My Luck," and right away we're treated to that great southern California sound, particularly in the guitar work. And when the song moves from that introduction to its main body, there is a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere. A song whose sound makes us feel at home. "From one extreme to another/From my world to you/Whatever's in this brain of mine/Is trying to get a message through/And I'm not sure what that message is/I'm learning it as I go along." She tells us the message comes out in song, and then the backing vocalists come in with a "ba ba ba" vocal part, which is perfect. Sometimes the message can be clearer in the sound of a voice rather than the words. And we can hear the joy in those vocals. And therein is the message, right? By the way, this is one of the tracks to features the special guest, and that is Mini Mendez, of The Glimmer Stars. He provides some of the song's wonderful backing vocals. "I Know My Luck" is followed by "Shambles." This song has a delightfully cheerful and fun vibe and sound from its opening notes. Part of it is in that rhythm, and part of it is in Sophia's mandolin work. There is a youthful energy and vibe that is incredibly appealing, particularly in Gloria's vocal performance. "What are you going to do/Now that you know how I feel/It's your move." Ah, yes, what a great (and sometimes frightening) thing, putting your desires out there, making your feelings known. In that moment before the other person responds all possibilities exist, and this song exists in that moment.
"Fleeting Moment," the album's title track, has a pretty, soothing, mellow sound, featuring some beautiful work on lap steel. Its opening lines strike us especially in these uncertain times: "If I could talk to my younger self, I'd say/'Do it now, don't hesitate'/Life is ticking away." It is advice offered gently, to herself, but to us as well. This whole thing is fleeting. There is a great scene in the movie Home For The Holidays that sticks in my mind, when Henry (Charles Durning) is describing to his daughter (Holly Hunter) a moment from decades earlier, which he refers to as a "Great moment of my life, great." Thinking about it, he remarks that the whole thing lasted "Ten seconds, tops." These fleeting moments make up our lives. Perhaps the most powerful line of this song is this: "Those fleeting moments like right now." That's followed by "Apologize In Advance." This one was written by Sophia Delgado and Gloria Delgado, and is the other track to feature special guest Mini Mendez on backing vocals. This track features some wonderful vocal work, and has that great southern California vibe. "You know I never meant to hurt you/I never meant to drive you mad/I only want to make you happy." And in the second half, Gloria sings, "I want to apologize in advance/For all those times I act like an ass." The lines are funny and sweet, even endearing, and she repeats them, changing the last word the final time through, singing "asshole" instead of "ass." And it's like she's finishing the word that maybe she meant all those other times. It also might make you think of a song that Gloria and Sophia cover in The Firkins, I See Hawks In L.A.'s "Stop Driving Like An Asshole."
"Into The Clouds" begins with some cool guitar work, and then Tom brings the song into motion with some excellent drumming. "I fell into the clouds," Gloria sings. I love the poetry of that line, because it means more than the actual action of driving through fog, driving through clouds. We've all experienced something of that feeling. "We are in the clouds." There is some joy to that line, to the way it's delivered. There is a sweet jam at the end of this one. Then "Smart Phones" features the saxophone, an instrument whose presence gives this track a different sound and vibe right from the beginning, and a certain kind of excitement. Then the opening lines make me smile: "Smart phone are making you stupid/Smart phones are making you dumb/Your IQ is dipping down/Just like everyone." Indeed! We have become stupid because of these devices we all carry around. People no longer know how to read maps. People don't remember anyone's phone number. In fact, people don't remember much of anything. They don't have to. They just look it up. People suffer from cognitive atrophy. The biggest problem, however, is stated in the song's final line, "You don't care that it's making you dumb." That line is repeated for emphasis. Will people get it? Will they accept that message? Gloria's delivery has a certain amount of attitude, which I love. This song ends up being one of my favorites.
Then in "In Drastic Need," Gloria sings, "I've got to get away/My everyday routine/Is wearing me down." I think we can all relate to those lines. This track features some especially wonderful drumming, and there are some other catchy elements here. "I'm in drastic need of a change." Ah, so is this country. That's followed by "Finally Made It To Nashville," a song about a road trip from Los Angeles to Nashville, from a place that has a great music scene to a place that is known for its music scene. Nashville is a city that musicians are drawn to. "And the band started playing/And it sounded like heaven/I think I dreamt about this place/Ever since I was seven." The song describes something of that music scene, and there is more of a country vibe to this one, which of course is fitting. "I'm so glad you're experiencing this place with me." And for you Firkins fans, this song mentions beer. This song is a cheerful number, and is another of the disc's highlights.
"My Black Cloud 9" also stands out. I love the song's title, combining two opposing idiomatic expressions, "black cloud" and "cloud nine." That striking title grabs our interest even before the song starts. Then check out the opening lines: "I am standing here on my black cloud 9/Trying not to let your love pass me by." This one also contains some really good drumming, which is certainly part of its appeal. "This black cloud has followed me for such a long time/But now that you are here, I'm on cloud nine." This one too contains a sweet jam at the end, taking us to our own sort of cloud nine. Then "You Are My Favorite Flower" has a different sound, a different vibe, with a sort of 1960s thing happening, which is very cool. And it's a love song. Tranquilina wraps up the album with a lively, past-faced number titled "LAX." While LAX is not known as a fun place, this song a lot of fun. It will have listeners smiling, if not dancing, almost immediately. I love the change of pace in the middle, as well as the return to the faster pace. And at that point, the guitar takes off in a way that is much more enjoyable than any plane ride you've ever taken. Everything about this song works perfectly, and it leaves us feeling good.
CD Track List
- I Know My Luck
- Shambles
- Fleeting Moments
- Apologize In Advance
- Into The Clouds
- Smart Phones
- In Drastic Need
- Finally Made It To Nashville
- My Black Cloud 9
- You Are My Favorite Flower
- LAX
Fleeting Moments was released on June 29, 2026.
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