There’s something inherently 90s in Craigology’s music. Perhaps not in the project’s musical formulas, but more in its aesthetic. It’s modern fusion: absorbing all those eclectic Latin and jazz rhythms, very popular 3 decades ago, and then declining them with contemporary taste, adding copious electronic elements here and there. This is Craigology in a nutshell, although he’s also so much more. The American musician and composer possesses a sense of mission and doesn’t just make music for the sake of it. Instead, he packages it into smooth, relaxing tunes, perfect for soundtracking your best moments. You see, it’s complex sound matter but delivered in a friendly way.
Earlier in September, Craigology unveiled a full-length release, ‘Garden Tourist’. In it, we find all of the best qualities the American talent has been known for. Starting from ‘Evening Whispers’, channelling elegant and composed Latin rhythms stacked against a poignant synth melody, the album makes its way to ‘Yellow Croton’. Blending theatre piano and reggae vibes, the track feels hopeful yet sleazy, slightly disorienting the listener in its eclecticism. ‘Blue River’ oozes R’n’B references, as it does ‘Fantasies from an Orchid’.
‘Guava Jelly Jam’ shuffles the cards a fair bit, building a Santana-flavoured sonic horizon, thanks to a powerful electric guitar and bouncy percussions. ‘At Anchor in English Harbour’ ends this mesmerising musical journey in a fitting fashion, blending soca-inspired grooves with jazz piano solos. What more could you ever want?
Recommended! Discover ‘Garden Tourist’ on Spotify:
