Not a record for everyone, ‘Permission to Feel’ is an unexpected gem, one that we are happy to have discovered. A holistic, expansive record, the album sees Atlanta-based musician and composer Colin Bragg embarking on a series of leftfield instrumental explorations, ranging from abstract electronica and form-less drone matter to fuzzy and noisy guitar solos.
We appreciate the alternance between the organic and the artificial, here co-existing in absolute harmony. Perhaps that’s Bragg’s true gift: writing a piece of music that never feels forced or overly synthetized. Instead, it flows freely and naturally, taking the listeners on a cryptic, intense and eye-opening sonic journey. We particularly appreciate ‘Yawp’, a track that layers modern textures with a fusion-style guitar solo. It’s a timeless piece, really: it could have existed in the 80s, as well as now. It merely fluctuates in the space-time continuum.
Opener ‘Chandra’ is truly abstract and spiritual, described by Colin as “paying homage to Sheila Chandra’s engrossing drone music”. ‘Autophones’ instantly reveals another angle of the project, delving into infinite arpeggiated loops and hypnotising melodies. Listen: ‘Permission to Feel’ is not something we can truly describe, it needs to be experienced. The sensation of having your soul absorbed by the music – sparking a whole lot of introspection and reflection – is unmissable.
Recommended! Discover ‘Permission to Feel’ on Spotify:
