The album kicks off with "The Motion," which begins with a solid rock beat, and then gets into more dreamy territory with the guitar work. There is a relaxed and soothing aspect to the guitar work that makes me think of looking out to the horizon and letting one's thoughts fly to points unknown. There is something of a surf element to the sound. And then there is a slight change in the sound, perhaps like the guitar is now answering those thoughts from that distant point, or perhaps beckoning us to join it, with a brighter energy. In the second half, there is a slight pause as we rise and step onto the water, and soon we are flying above the sea, free, untethered to the ground or to reality. What a great feeling. Then "Fire Water" rushes in on us in its opening moment, grabbing us and taking us on a ride. There is more intensity to this one, more urgency to its sound. The images are vibrant, sharp. There is a slight pause here too, in the middle, as the music changes gears, and then things fly off into a realm that feels like a late 1970s rock concert climax. It is strange to remember that all this music is being made by just one person.
On "The Porcelain Palace," the guitar gently leads us into its preferred world, acting as a tour guide of sorts, telling us of certain details, certain features, and at a relaxed pace. It is interesting that there is a breath in the middle of this track as well, as we turn a corner, and new things open before us. This track gently approaches its conclusion. That's followed by "A Good Haul," which has a very different sound and vibe at the beginning, an interesting sound, almost mechanical, but sounding natural as well. We get the sense in those first moments of things being counted. The guitar work on this one is in the acoustic realm, and yet the track has an unusual vibe, like reality is being played with somewhat, adjusted, fiddled with. Until it seems right, or until we ourselves can adjust. And soon we have done that, for then we can perceive a strange beauty to the piece. There is something childlike in the joy of it, and this ends up being one of my personal favorite tracks.
"Rainy Day Embrace" begins in a mellower place, with a relaxed disposition. There is no hurry here. It might be just for a moment, or we could settle into this landscape, this way of being, of thinking, of acting, for there is certainly something appealing in that idea. And that is because there is something soothing in the way this track moves us. But toward the end, there are hints that it might be winding down, coming to its own natural conclusion, whether we wish for it or not. Then "Current" has a brief electronic opening, like a machine gathering energy, and before we can give that much thought, we are into the song, which has a bright, rather cheerful energy, moving steadily, and carrying us along with it. There is an otherworldly aspect that is layered upon our world so that the two seem to be moving in conjunction, so naturally. In the middle, there is a change in the rhythm, in the motion, in the approach, in the intensity. It is an exciting section. There is suddenly another change, and the drums lead us into more cheerful, familiar territory again. I love the ride this track takes us on.
The guitar soars at the beginning of "Cousins," with a more playful bass line below it, and we soon find ourselves in a place where there is some magic around us, something we didn't notice at first as we had focused on the movement of the guitar. That guitar takes us on a glorious ride, through a daytime sky, passing through the light itself on into the darkness of space, which isn't dark at all, with stars and comets and whispers from the great unknown welcoming us. That's followed by "Florida Man." When I first glanced at the track list, this is one title that stood out to me, because of that thing that a friend once told me, and which you all probably know. Searching "Florida man" along with any date online will result in one of the most outrageous and ridiculous stories you'll read. Seriously, I just did it, randomly picking September 21st, and what came up was "Florida man steals Alabama ambulance from Taco Bell." But Fernando Perdomo is from Florida, so it's not just lunatics living there, apparently. This is a fun song, with a cool groove. There is something of a laid-back vibe here, but also a sense of curiosity. A sense of looking for the good times and finding them everywhere. I'm especially digging the bass work here.
With "The Cool Down," we are in softer, gentler territory now, with a sound that feels like those moments on the beach just before the sun goes down, when everyone is looking in that direction, perhaps reflecting on the day and wondering what tomorrow will bring, but really just enjoying the moment, the beauty of it and being a part of it, if only a very small part of it. This is a pretty track, reminding us what a wonderful thing it is to be here, to be alive. Waves 8 then concludes with "Love Is An Echo," an interesting, somewhat contemplative piece that has its own beauty, particularly in the guitar work. Here there is a more intimate sense, combined in a subtle way with the infinite. Interestingly, there is a hint of darkness just as it ends.
CD Track List
- The Motion
- Fire Water
- The Porcelain Palace
- A Good Haul
- Rainy Day Embrace
- Current
- Cousins
- Florida Man
- The Cool Down
- Love Is An Echo
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