Pacific Northwest native Brandon Carmody is back with "Back To Light," a captivating adventure that spans two decades of creative evolution with seamless ease. What started as a project aimed squarely at the now has become something much richer and unexpectedly introspective, thanks to a serendipitous find in a storage unit.
I didn't intend to go in and do a retrospective album, Carmody concedes, reflecting on the origins of "Back to Light." But when old studio tapes dating back to his 1997 debut surfaced, he unearthed more than just some dusty reels, they came with five or six previously unheard tracks and visceral glimpses into the emotional world of a 20-year-old artist stepping onto the scene for the first time. Instead of letting these recordings fade into memories, Carmody saw an opportunity to merge the past with the present and produce an album that feels just as modern as it is wistful.
Playing "Back To Light," the eras intermingle right away. Carmody's trademark contemporary undertones are reflected in the modern production and slick arrangements. Still, the soul of his past work, the emotional power and exposed emotionality, is organically woven into the body of the record. These tracks are bound with the right amount of sincerity that people can only achieve when they look back on and accept their younger selves, while also possessing the range of a seasoned musician. It's a tricky balance, and one that Carmody pulls off with surprising finesse.
There's a quiet strength in the record's ability to be intimate and expansive at the same time. Touching melodies and textured layers of instrumentation draw in listeners between reflective passages and soaring crescendos. Carmody's voice, both thoughtful and soulful, anchors you emotionally in the driver's seat of this bridge between generations.
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