Craigology

Have you ever thrown on an album in the middle of a day while going about your day? Your mind is going over the overflowing Rolodex in your head. Accomplishing one thing opens another can of worms and the tasks seem endless. The stress of organizing your life becomes as stressful as the tasks themselves. The modern age has most of us living with more on our plate than we can handle. Then you realize you are halfway through the album and the overworked secretary in your head has gone to lunch. You are living in the moment, going with the flow, focussing purely on the task at hand.

Garden Tourist, the latest album from Florida composer and performer Craigology does just that. His style of tropical, jazzy, hypnotic vibes gets you right in the zone. The songs flow from gentle samba through reggae, slow jam, and quirky calypso, wrapping with a pulsing electronic trance. The music immerses itself in lush fauna and flowing aquatics which naturally inform the compositions. With Craigology handling the instrumentation entirely, he can explore themes and modes that may elude an ensemble attempting to play together. It all moves in sync. The six-track album is a welcome reprieve from the modern urban cacophony.

'Evening Whispers' provides a gentle introduction for the album. It has a real “midnight at the oasis” feel. The airy gasp of synth trumpet over warmly evolving piano lines while a stable moving bass holds together the centre. Balmy yacht party or coastal rooftop patio shindig soundtrack. Craigology creates an intimately inviting atmosphere. 'Yellow Croton' develops an elegant dance of violin and piano before a Spanish-tinged electric guitar enters the fray. His lines resemble Santana's more uncomplicated lines. The notes are there but the playing is a little hesitant. It can appear somewhat shaking but it does bare a certain DIY indie charm. The song leans on a mystical Eastern modulation to provide its layer of intrigue.

The record takes on a classic slow-jam feel on 'Blue River' with that classic half-time beat, a subtly funky bass line and lilting, verbed-out guitar coos. 'Guava Jelly Jam' returns to the Latin feel with a cocked-wah lead and full wah-wah rhythm guitar. A feisty little number to get up and dance to. The album closes on an energetic note with thick synths and throbbing bass on 'At Anchor in English Harbour'. Horns exclaim, percussion gesticulates, and the piano man goes off on fanciful tangents. A lively end to a night on the docks.

Garden Tourist is a vacation for your soul. Warm music inspired by the sounds of the tropics and the lifestyle of the gulf. The album pulses with an intrinsic rhythm and lets your mind drift to calmer waters. The fuzzy electric guitars though slightly shaky, provide a welcome element to the usual jazzy ensemble. A nice record to drift away to.