Rahm

Calm isn't as easy a thing to achieve in music as one might think. Simply dialing back the tempo, tempering your touch on your instrument and musing on life's delicate charms isn't enough. The very essence of rock music is frantic, frenzied. A ballad begun with the softest touch craves to be unleashed into the full unbound passion that it keeps thinly veiled under its skin. The cacophony of the city, the exponential noise of technology, the constant strains of precarious relationships. Rock is replete with anxious energy. Israeli artist Rahm's debut EP Between the Lines is largely free of that energy. It's cool-headed, honest, bare. Drawing great inspiration from the minimalism of his desert home, Rahm expresses himself through a theatrical progressive rock, much like the later solo works of Pink Floyd's Waters and Gilmour.

Opening with the reassuring chirps of birds, Rahm's guitar is comfortable and measured, his voice steady. The chorus erupts with Gilmouresque soaring lines in a warm wash. A female voice joins for a duet. 'You Are Not Alone' manages to be grandiose and peaceful at the same time. Title track 'Between the Lines' features Peter Gabriel-style narration with darker guitar and a ripping sax solo.

'Coming Home' reintroduces the birds, reminding you that things are still as they should be. Gentle, jaunty piano and shimmering guitar intertwine to give the imagine of ripples in a pond. The female voice returns for another duet. There's a stillness in Rahm's writing that strongly recalls David Gilmour's On an Island album. Both records have such a solid sense of finding paradise at home and being truly content with what you've found.

Rahm's between the lines is designed to either help you rejoice in being in your place of peace or to transport you there when you are separated from it. When you put it on you can feel your heart rate lower and your breath slow. Your skin warms and the scent of fresh baking fills your nose. This record feels like home.